PNEUMONIA 
247 
rugs for diminishing heat production quinine finds the 
reatest favor, but I must say I cannot speak of it very favor- 
bly ; it deranges the nervous system, apt to cause headache, 
nd disturbs digestion ; moreover, it has to be given in very 
irge doses to accomplish any reduction of temperature, and 
; a powerful heart sedative; and, as death in pneumonia 
isually occurs with a systole of the heart, a powerful seda- 
ion of that organ and a prolongation of the diastole might 
>rove disastrous. 
Acetanilid is apparently the safest of all the antipyretics. 
Nevertheless, in large doses it also produces a certain de- 
•ression of the cardiac strength, which is undesirable in 
meumonia. Two drachms is the dose I usually give, the 
emperature falling in about one to two hours, but it will rise 
gain in about four to five hours. All the drugs are only 
emporary in their antithermic influence; nevertheless, they 
xert a very beneficial effect, inasmuch as the patient exhibits 
. certain amount of calm relief as soon as the temperature 
alls, and commences to eat. 
Fashion rules in drugs as well as in dress, and hems are 
nade wide or narrow, according to the dictates of the lead¬ 
ers. The therapeutical fashion for the treatment of pneumo- 
lia may be divided into six categories : (i). The depleting 
nethod ; (2) the supportive; (3) the expectant; (4) the anti- 
)yretic ; (5) the antiseptic ; (6) the symptomatic. 
The depleting method, I am sorry to say, has not yet 
>een abandoned. Sweating with oil-silk bandages, bleeding, 
artar emetic, veratrum, are the therapeutics still in vogue 
Lmong some who stand high in the profession. Do these 
nen ever stop to think that disease means a weakened con- 
■titution, and that the term sthenic and asthenic signify merely 
hat some patients are weaker than others, and therefore 
leed more support ? 
The expectant method carried out means the let-alone 
reatment, and it has found many strong advocates; but 
vhen we meet complicated and severe cases, according to 
he complication, age, condition, etc., of the patient, we lose 
aith in the mere water treatment. 
