The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-05
TT rs A USELESS GIFT.
THE vERMlFoRM APPENDIX CAUSES
SERIOUS TROUBLE.

oGnioCo tfcCoe1hs
Science Advances to the Rescue and Shows
the Only Way to safety-A Possibility
That the Coming Man VIII BE without
That Dangerous Organ.
Will the coming man have vermi-
form appendix Who has not heard Of
that troublesome little pouch in the alb
dominal regions which serves no good
purpose, but is responsible for thousands
of deaths each Year,
Emmons Blaine, Senator Hagan and
hundreds Of other persons of prominence
had trouble with the vermiform appen-
dix-and they died.
Now science is asking in all serious
ness whether the vermiform appendix
shall be allowed to exist; whether it shall
not be removed entirely before it has the
opportunity to poison and destroy.
Professor B. G. Wilder has said fatty
that children should be relieved of the
vermiform appendix, just as they are
vaccinated. But other students in this
new field are not yet ready to pronounce
in favor of SO radical a scheme.
Physicians have known for centuries
that the vermiform appendix existed, but
it was not until 18SS-not until five years
ago--that any one of the profession had
the daring to make an incision into thu
abdominal cavity and remove this ranl
offender against the laws of health.
The attack on the vermiform appendix
is but five years old, but it is being pros
ecuted with remarkable vigor in New
York city, where it originated, and thu
reason is not far to seek. 1t is simply be
cause physicians feel sure that they hav,
evidence that appendicitis, as disease O
the vermiform appendix isnamed, cause
more deaths every year than consump
ton, the long acknowledged chief among
fatal diseases.
The appendix vermiformis in norma
condition is about the size of lead pen
Gil and about o inches long. 1t is yer,
well shown in a specimen which was re
moved at a clinical lecture at the Post
| graduate Medical school on Jan. IS.
This appendix had liberated and in
creased in size somewhat, but gavea yer,
| fair idea of the part. When perfect,
| normal. it so compares with an ordinar,
lead pencil that it is most frequently de
| scribed as like it. 1t is pencil tina
writes only death warrants.
Even today very few physicians out
side of New York city have any accurat
knowledge of appendicitis or would III
| dertake an operation for the removal O
| the appendix. So entirely is the discoy
cry of the disease and the prsper metho
| of treating it an American development
of knowledge and practice that anon
scientists of other countries today al
! pendicitis is known as "the American
| disease"
Since the recent discoveries removal
of the cause of all the trouble have bee
very frequent. One general practitione
has had 4S such cases within u year.
Speaking in the light Of recent re
search. it seems safe to say that appen
dicitis is far more prevalent than con
sumption, and in just that proportiol
| causes more deaths, the chief differenc
being that the cause a. seat of appended
It's may be removed bodily with success
in most cases, and success means restol
-ation to perfect health.
The removal of the vermiform appen
dix in the early stages of an attack @
appendicitis is now held to be one of tn
safest of surgical operations. while sue
an operation, when the case has come t
near its last and fatal stage, is one of tn
| most desperate. The sad case of Senate
Hagan is one in point. He had long dc
sired an operation, but it had been dc
| layed until too late for an assured sue
cess. """"..
And now, after all these facts are n
cited, recurs the question of whether tn
coming man will have vermiform az
pendix. 1t is not meant by this to il
quire whether the coming man will hav
his appendix slain lest it slay him. .
much wider question is indicated. TIL
number of appendices removed in thi
city since the discovery that such an OF
Grafton could be safely performed is yer
great, all things considered. One ger
eral practitioner, not a surgical specia
list, told the representative of The Worl
that he had removed 100 appendices /
two years. Possibly 1000 appendix
have been removed since the first oper,
ton of this sort in 1888, and most {
these in the past three years.
What follows? If such rate is to b
maintained, there will soon be yer
large proportion Of the people Of Me-
York city who have eliminated thei
vermiform appendices, and we are gla
of it.
Will the children of these people /
likewise possessed of vermiform appel
dixes2 Undoubtedly, But should tn
eliminating process be continued for
few generations, how long would it /
] before this useless and dangerous, d.
generate and rudimentary portion Of tn
body is permanently bred out of exis
ence2-New York World.