THE HOME PnYSlCJAy. 413 



say nine-tenths) of the aged dying with it. The- main work of the lungs ia 

 done by the air-cclla, the tiny laboratories in which the smaller branches of 

 the air-tubes terminate, as the branches of a tree terminate in the leares. 

 Now it is these that are the seat of pneumonia. 



In the first stage of the disease they become — in some part of the lungs 

 — filled with a sticky fluid, exuded from the blood vessels; in the second 

 atage tins fluid becomes sohd; in the third it changes to pus. If the pus is 

 absorbed— which is seldom the case in the old — the person may recover, but 

 only after months of convalesence. If it result in gangrene (mortification), 

 the gangrene may form numerous small abscess'^s through an entire iun^. 



In the aged the disease seldom commences with well-defined symptoms, 

 lu about one-half the cases there is simply a chill or a pain in the side. In 

 most of the other cases the main symptom is a feeling of exhaustion. If 

 there is already chronic bronchitis or asthma, the person may merely feel a 

 little tired, and suddenly die. 



Though most persons cough, there is for a time no expectoration. When 

 it appears it is at first scanty, gray and frothy; then yellow, and at length 

 reddish and sticky. Patients seldom complain of pain or difficulty of 

 breathing. 



The more common exciting cause is cold, especially dry, sharp. Nine- 

 tcnths of all cases occur between November and May. Duriag tliia }>eriod 

 the aged cannot be too carefully protected from exposure. They should 

 constantly wear flannel. 



.About all that can bo done for the patient is to stimnlate him with driaks, 

 U(jurish him with concentrated fluid foo<l, and secure him absolute rest 



Antidotes for Poisons. — (1) The most dangerons of the vegetable 

 poisons are the hemlocks (including the hemlock dropwort, water hemlock, 

 and the common hemlock), fool's parsley, monkshood, foxglove, black helle- 

 lx)re, or Christmas rose, buck-bran, henbane, thorn apple, and deadly night- 

 shada. In a case of vegetable poieoning, says Kuowleulge, "emetics (the 

 sulphate of zinc, if procurable) should be used at once, the back of the 

 throat tickled with a feather, and copious draughts of tepid water taken to 

 excite and promote vomiting. Where these measures fail, the stomach-pump 

 must be used. Neither ipecacuanha nor tartar emetic should be used to 

 cause vomiting, as during the nausea they produce before vomiting is excited 

 the poison is more readily absorbed. Vinegar mcst not be given until the 

 poisonous matter has been removed; but afterward it may bo given in doses 

 ©f a wineglassful, one part vinegar to two parts water, once every two liours 

 in mild cases, but ofteuer— to half hourly doses— in cases of greater severity. 

 Where there is stupor, the patient should be kept walking about, and if tha 

 stupor is great cold water may be dashed over the head and chest. Strong 

 coSee may be used where the narcotic effect of the poisoning is very marked. 

 It is all-important that in cases of vegetable poisoning a medical man should 

 be sent for at once." 



(2) If a person swallow any poison whatever, or has fallen into convul- 

 sions from having overloaded the stomach, an iastantaneons remedy, more 

 efficient and applicable in a larger number of cases than any half a dozen 

 medicines we can think of, ia a heaping teaspoonful of common salt and as 

 much ground mustard, stirred rapidly in a teacup of water, warm or cold, 

 and swallowed instantly. It is scarcely down before it begins to come up, 

 bringing vdth it thQ^remaining contents of the stomach; and k-st there Ix) 

 any remnant of poison, however small, let the wtiite of an egg, or a teacup 



