Pneumonia is quite often found as a cause of death, specially in the infants and elderly aged people. Pneumonia is the term which can be described as inflammation of the lung. Though many a different type of Pneumonias are known, among which some are common and some are rare.Pneumonia whereaver possible , should be classified aetiologically, rather than anatomically, and for this reason there is a tendency to discard the older discussions into a Lobar and Broncho pneumonia.
Causes
The causative organisms reach the lung by any of these roots which are :
(a) Inhalation of microbes present in the air.
(b) Aspiration of organisms from the naso-oropharynx, interestingly is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia.
(c) Haematogenous spread from a distant focus of infection,or rarely
(d) Direct spread from a contageous site of infection. The group of Specific pneumonia may further be subdevided into Bacterial and Viral Pneumonias. Generally Streptococcus Pneumonae, Staphylococcus Pyogens, Klebsiella Pneumonae and Mycobacterium Tuberculae are the bacterias known to cause bacterial pneumonias.A large number of viruses may produce a specific viral pneumonia. And a similar illness may be the result from infection with Rickettsia (Coxicella) Burneti (Q-fever) and Myco plasma Pneumonae.     
Types Of Broncho Pneumonia
     Aetiologically Pneumonia can be devided into two groups :
(1) The Specific Pneumonia : In which the disease is caused by a definite or specific pathogenic organism.
(2) The Aspiration Pneumonias : In these some abnormality in the respiratory system predisposes to the invasion of the lung by organisms of relatively low virulence such as ;H.Influenzae, some Streptococcal Pneumonae and certain of the bacteria forming the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract and mouth. In this group of pneumonia as term implies, infection generally reaches the alveoli by aspiration from other parts of the respiratory tract.
     By and large pneumonia is defined as inflammation in the lung parenchyma, the portion distal to the terminal bronchioles and comprising the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs and alveoli. While the inflammation may have many different causes and varying durations, the term pneumonia commonly refers to acute infection.
Therapeutically
     Homoeopathy has got a better edge in treating the cases of Broncho pneumonia and as a matter of fact it has been an additional condition of earning another feather to caps of Homoeopaths and get more laurels to Homoeopathy. Here I am discussing few remedies which I use in my practice and found them to be effective according to the symptoms.
TUBERCULLINUM,FERRUM PHOS, IPECAC, BRYONIA ALBA, PHOSPHORUS,
LOBELIA INFLATA, ARSENIC IODATUM, LYCOPODIUM, CHELIDONEUM MAJUS,
IODIUM, SULPHUR, SANGUINARIA, GLYCERINE.
Other Details
     Pneumonia may occur in healthy people but is usually associated with conditions that impair one or more of the defence mechanisms like IgA, which is present in high concentrations in the upper respiratory tract and protects against viral infections. Altered conciousness from alcoholism, cranial trauma, seizures, general anaesthesia, drug overdose, cerebrovascular disease or other causes and old age depress the cough and glottic reflexes, allowing the aspiration of oropharyngeal contents.
Pneumonia due to the Pneumococcus, sometimes refered to as 'Acute Lobar Pneumonia', constitues a large proportion of all specific pneumonias.
But here we are discussing Broncho Pneumonia also known as 'Acute Lobular Pneumonia'.
     Broncho pneumonia is one of the types classified under the group of Aspiration pneumonia, other types are Benign Aspiration pneumonia, Hypostatic pneumonia and Post - Operative pneumonia.
     Infection may reach the the lungs in various ways. Pus may be aspirated from an infected nasal sinus or septic matter may be inhaled during tonsilectomy or dental extraction under general anaesthesia. Vomits or the contents of a dialated oesophagus may enter the larynx during the general anesthesia,coma or sleep. Infected secretion, in the bronchi and pus from the bronchiactatic cavities or from a lung abscess may also be carried into alveoli by air system or gravity.
     Broncho pneumonia or Lobular pneumonia is also called Capillary Pneumonia. This type of pneumonia is invariably preceded by bronchial infection, which accounts for the widespread lobular distribution of the lesions. It occurs most frequently in children and in elderly people. In children it is often a complication of measles or whooping cough, in adults of acute bronchitis or influenza. It is particularly common in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
     Aetiologically it is a disese of infants and young children , due to a mixed infection of the terminal bronchioles with such organisms as the Haemophilus Influenzae, Staphylococcus, Friedlander's Bacillus and the Streptococcus.
Resolution of lobular pneumonia may be incomplete, and in such cases Pulmonary Fibrosis and Bronchiactasis are common sequelae.
     Clinically the patient is usually an infant, young child or an elderly person. The onset is comparitively sudden, with the symptoms of feverish cold. As a matter of fact for first two or three days the patient shows the clinical features of the Acute Bronchitis and then,as Lobular Pneumonia develops the temperature rises to higher level ( 103 o - 105 o F) the Pulse and Respiratory Rates increase which may be 120 or more and 40 to 60 per minute respectively. Then the temperature becomes remittent type following by crisis in about 7 to 10 days. A further rise in temperature may indicate a fresh spread of the infection, with these the Dyspnoea and Cynosis may appear.
     There is generally a severe cough with purulent sputum which may be blood - stained or occasionally rusty in colour. Infants normaly have no sputum, any pulmonary secretions which is brought up on coughing being either swallowed or vomitted. Pleuritic pain is relatively uncommon and Herpes Labialis is seldom present, compare to Pneumococcal Pneumonia. In severe cases The child is very drowsy, being overwhelemed with the Toxaemia. Blood examination usually show a Polymorphoneuclear leucocytosis.
Investigations :
Blood :
X-Ray :
Culture : 
     The mortality rate is higher at the extremes of life, specially if the disease is associated with Malnutrition or if it supervenes on chronic Bbronchiactesis ,Emhysema, chronic Nephritis or Heart disease. We must know the more widespread the involvement of the lungs and the greater the systemic upset, the worse is the Prognosis.
     For Homoeopathic management 'Prevention is better than cure' suits the most as it can be done in many a number of cases of different diseases. Here cases of Bronchopneumonia can be minimised by careful attention to apparently benign upper respiratory infections such as Coryza and Acute Bronchitis, specially when they occur at the extremes of life in a ptients with chronic Bronchitis. Similarly prophylactic measures should be taken to prevent Whooping Cough and Measlse or if at all they occur these should be treated adequately.