Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-09-22
1t Is A USELESS GIFT
THE VERMlFORM APPENDIX CAUSES
SERIOUS TROUBLE.


That the Coming Man viii BE without
That Dangerous Organ.
VIII the coming man have n yermi-
form appendix? Who has not heard of
that troublesome little pouch in the all
domlnal 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 amen
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 rs they are
vaccinated. Bu5 other students in this
new field are moi yet ready to pronounce
III favor of so radical a scheme.
Physicians have known for centuries
that the vermiform appendix existed. but
1t was not until lSSS-not until five wears
ago-that any one of the profession had
the daring to make an incision into the
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 the
reason Is not fan to seek. 1t is simply be-
cause physicians feel sure that they have
evidence that appendicitis, as disease of
the vermiform appendix is named, causes
more deaths every year than consume
| ton, the long acknowledged chief among
| fatal diseases.
The appendix vermiformis in normal
condition Is about the size of lead pen
Gil and about & inches long. 1t is very
well shown in a specimen which was re-
moved at clinical lecture at the Post
graduate Medical school on Jan. 10.
This appendix had liberated and in
creased IN size somewhat. but gavea very
fair idea of the part. When perfectly
normal, 1t SO compares with an ordinary
lead pencil that it is most frequently de-
scribed as like it. 1t is a pencil that
writes only death warrants.
! Even today very few physicians ont
side Of New York city have any accurate
knowledge of appendicitis or would I'M
dertake an operation for the removal of
the appendix. So entirely Is the discov-
cry OF the disease and the rlsoer met nod
| OF treating 1t an American DEVELOPMENT
of knowledge and practice that among
scientists Of other countries today APP
pendlcitis is known as the American
| disease"
Since the recent discoveries removals
of the cause of all the trouble have been
| very frequent. One general practitioner
has had As sucl cases within a 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 proportion
causes more deaths, the chief difference
being that the cause or seat of appended
tbs may be removed bodily with success
in most cases, and success means restor-
alton 10 perfect health.
The removal of the vermiform appen-
| dix in the early stages of an attack of
| appendicitis is now held to be one of the
safest Of surgical operations, while such
an operation, when the case has come to
near its last and fatal stage, is one of the
most desperate The sad case of Senator
Hagan is one III point. He had long de-
sired an operation, but it had been de
! layed until too late for an assured sue
| cess.
And now, after all these facts are re-
cited, recurs the question of whether the
coming man will have a vermiform APP
pendix. 1t is not meant by this to in
! quire whether the coming man will have
his appendix slain lest it slay him. A
much wider question is indicated. The
number of appendices removed in this
city since the discovery that such an OPP
GRAFTON could be safely performed is very
great, all things considered. One gen.
eral practitioner, not a surgical special
list, told the preventative of The World
that he had removed 100 appendices in
have been removed since the first opera
! ton of this sort in 1888, and most of
these in the past three years.
What follows? If such rate is to be
maintained, there will soon be a very
large proportion Of the people of New
York city who have eliminated their
vermiform appendices, and we are glad
of it.
Will the children of these people be
| likewise possessed of vermifOrm appen-
dixes? Undoubtedly. But should the
eliminating process be continued for
few generations, how long would it be
before this useless and dangerous, de-
generate and documentary portion of the
body is permanently bred out of exist
ence?-New York World.
CIocI That ReVisters the Tide.