| Show Keeping ping U Up Upi i h cien e 0 Sc n erv e O p Ber Serums Scrums May fay Nearly Halve Deaths Due to Pneumonia Public Must Learn to Demand That Therapy New Orleans Universally Orleans Universally and reasonably adequate application application application cation of serum treatment of lobar pneumonia could be he expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to produce a 46 per cent reduction in deaths from this disease This hopeful news coming at a time when are taking a somewhat heavier toll was given the American Public Health association anon by Dr Edward S. S Rogers director of the New York department depart ment of health's bureau of pneumonia pneumonia monia control Pneumonia is third among all causes of death In the I United States Statistical analysis shows that 64 I per cent of the lobar pneumonia cases are likely to be due to of type I 1 II V VII and VIII For all of these effective specific ape cl due c antiserum in limited quantities is at present available Serum Therapy Still Limited Although limited use of serum began in 1911 and general distribution of type I serum occurred in New York state as long ago as 1916 Dr Rogers found that the available knowledge and practice of serum therapy is not being sufficiently suf widely applied Universal or even adequate use of serum on a wide scale is most unlikely of attainment Dr Rogers admitted but If the results tell fell far short of the estimate he be makes it would still be worth the effort Public Must lust Be De Educated Education of the public to accept and ond even demand these newer methods meth of pneumonia treatment was urged by Dr Rogers who explained that such education was not easy because of the common tendency of the layman to put oft off of medical consultation even in the face of such obvious illness as pneumonia I The active participation of public pub lic lie health agencies in the field of pneumonia control Is a matter of comparatively r recent e c e n t development develop develop- development ment ment Dr Rogers explained This might seem surprising were it not for the fact that means for so particIpating participating par par- heretofore have been lacking Moreover there have been two clinical concepts almost axiomatic which have unquestionably served to retard such progress 1 That the survival or death of a pneumonia patient could be Influenced very little lit tle tie by whatever skill skin the physician had to offer 2 That pneumonia as a cause of death was of importance tance only to the Infant about which nothing could be done and to the aged about which there was little inclination to attempt to do any anything thing Today neither of these concepts is longer held true since we now possess established means of treating treat ing lag pneumonia and we recognize that a large proportion about 75 per cent of deaths from this cause occur before the age of sixty five years and consequently during a time of life of either actual or potential potential potential po po- po- po economic Importance |
