Abstract
Lobar pneumonia in 75 per cent of instances is due to specific types of pneumococci possessed of a high degree of pathogenicity. Although pneumococci occur in the mouths of 60 per cent of normal individuals, such organisms are readily distinguishable from the highly parasitic types of pneumococcus responsible for the severe forms of lobar pneumonia, a convincing proof that infection in this disease is, in the majority of instances, not autogenic in nature, but is derived from some extraneous source. In a high percentage of instances healthy persons intimately associated with cases of lobar pneumonia harbor the disease-producing types of pneumococcus. In every such instance the pneumococcus isolated has corresponded in type with that of the infected individual. Convalescents from pneumonia carry for a considerable length of time the type of pneumococcus with which they have been infected. The existence of the carrier state among healthy persons and among those recently recovered from pneumonia establishes a basis for understanding the mechanism by means of which lobar pneumonia spreads and maintains its high incidence from year to year.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
