This is a very serious disease and often terminates in death; hence should never be treated by a layman or by domestic medications. Here, either whole of lung substance is affected or a part thereof is affected. The affection is caused by bacteria, in which case Alveoli (or the air-sacs) fdl up with pus so that the air excluded by the lungs becomes solid (called consolidation). Following salient features may be noted –
1. It is a self-limiting disease and is caused by bacterial infection.
2. It is not a hereditary disease like T.B.
3. Symptoms depend on the amount and portion of the lung involved and the virulence of bacteria.
4. Most visible and commonly felt symptoms being cough and chest pain.
5. The temperature falls gradually (or “by lysis”) or suddenly (or “by crisis”) to below normal on III, V, VII, IX, XI or XIII days from the day of onset of the disease, after which the process of convalescence begins.
6. The disease is caused by Pneumococcus Babllus germs.
7. It is complicated by meningitis or when pus forms in the pyro-thorox (chest Cavity).
8. X-ray film shows shadows on the chest.
9. Bacteria (that cause pneumonia) are sensitive to antibiotics, hences recovery is quick.
In Allopathy, almost the same treatment with antibiotics, auxilliary methods and safeguards will suffice which have already been mentioned under broncho-pneumonia-the only cardinal difference being that, in pneumonia finer air ways are not affected and the symptoms are also not as acute and threatening as they are generally in broncho-pneumonia, but complacence is not called for in either of the cases.