Gangrene of the Lung.

Otago Witness, Issue 2714, 21 March 1906, Page 68

Gangrene of the Lung.

This 16 a condition of the lung in which a piece of the lung tissue has died, and a cavity has been formed in the lung, from which is discharged material which is spit up. The spit has a very offensive colour, and it causes the odour of the breath alto to be highly objectionable. Gangrene of the lung is almost always due to the presence in the lung of some foreign body, whose, presence causes pressure on the septic material introduced along with the foreign body, and gives rise to the highly odorous character of the discharge. Any foreign body which passes into the windpipe and fails to he discharged, if not too large to lodge in one of the smaller bronohi, falls down there. If it were large ii> would block the air passages, and must ■either be removed or kill the patient. When' it gets into one of the branches of a bronchus it causes an interference with the circulation of air there, and thus hampers the breathing; but the free parts of the lung are capable of doing enough 1 v/crk to neutralise this effect. The pressure of the solid body on the wall of the bronchus, together with the growth of bacteria introduced along with it, causes the tissue in contact with it to undergo atrophy, and gradually an ulceration takes place, and the surrounding tissue is exposed to a similar effect. Destructive inflammation is apfc to spread, till p. considerable cavity is formed, and. being connected with the bronchus, the fluid formed in the cavity gets ready access to it, and the exact nature of the odour depends on the septio bacteria introduced. Physical evidence of the cavity can be formed, but unless the lung can be explored thoroughly it is impossible to render efficient aid. and the slow, destructive process goes on, for tl c introdiiction of owjinary antiseptics in tl c air is practically useless. This is one of the dangers of allowing children to keep small bodies in their mouths, as they may pass, on any sudden shock, into the air passages instead of into the stomach. — Lherpool Mercury.