Symptoms of Lobar Pneumonia
Lobar pneumonia is not so frequent in infants as is bronchopneumonia although it does occur occasionally in early infancy. The previous health of the child seems to make little difference, since it often occurs in the strong and robust children. As a matter of fact, the strong child is more likely to contract this form of pneumonia.
There are three stages in lobar pneumonia. There is: first, the congestion; second, the red hepatization, in which the lung becomes filled with a fibrant exudate containing red blood corpuscles; the third stage, that of gray hepatization, wherein the exudate undergoes a decomposition. These stages are of little importance to the chiropractor, except to indicate the degree of momentum attained by the incoördination. The first symptoms usually consist in loss of appetite, general weakness and headache. There is restlessness, excessive thirst, dry skin and a high temperature. There is rapid pulse and the respirations are from forty to fifty per minute. During the night the child is restless and slightly delirious. Occasionally there are convulsions, but this is very rare.