The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-12-12

" ways was au unfortunate III
v v dividual, the only time that 1
was ever in real luck was in the city of
Baltimore. Md, when l was operated On
for appendicitis while that operation was
practically unknown to the medical pro-
fession of the country. 1t is now COM
monty known by members of the medical
profession and by laymen that a%ppendi-
citis is a disease that often recurs several
times before it assumes a dangerous
form.
I suffered from my first attack of ap-
pendicitis, thought l was not then aware
of the nature of the disease, nearly seven
years ago. At that time l was visiting
friends in Salina, Kan. and if I remem-
Der distinctly, we had spent the afternoon
of the day before in consuming large
quantities of forbidden fruit in the form
of cherries belonging to a man who lived
on the edge of the town.
These cherries We're the apple of his eye,
if you will allow me as great a license in
my horticultural terms rs l will probably
take in the medical, and the only way we
could secure them was by Shining" the
back fence while he and his watch dog
fruit 4 finer flavor than 1t would have pos
SeSScu ClueIN ISL, anu Az ICSuAI was lANS
we all ate more thar was good for US.
On the day after, while everyone in the
party was regretting the action of the day
before-some that they had eaten so much
of the fruit, and others that they had not
saved some for the second day. was
struggling with one of the most peculiar
sensations I ever experienced.
1 had a sharp, shooting pain in a region
.I;11 nn~ hoct 1ncop,hn 1p n DnpnsOv
way by stating that it was in the lower
right hand corner of M abdomen. The
pain grew worse as the hours passed, and
the people with whom I was stopping said
they had best send for the family physi-
clan. I did not object, and in a short time
the physician, a g%ray-halred and eminent
ly respectable old gentleman, arrived.
He looked at me; felt my pulse, which
is always rather strong, and took my
temperature. Then he looked at me
again, this time over the top Of a pair of
bow spectacles, and asked me what 1 had
been eating.
I was not enjoying the situation a little
bit. but I managed to gasp that l had been
eating cherries, and the wise man said:
"Aha, l thought So"
never knew exactly how he guessed it,
but he said that 1 had a cramp in my
stomach, and advised the application of
hot cloths to the inflamed section. His
advice was followed, ard all that night
my ''tummie' was we'll poulticed to drive
away the pain. Fortune was with me,
and the scheme worked successfully.
I did not have a return of the trouble
for nearly six months, and at this time it
was slight. The same remedy was used,
and l recovered.
When next I had an attack of the dis
ease I was in Baltimore, and on this &C.
casion the matter was as serious as it
we'll could be without causing the issuance
of a burial permit. The pain started as
before, in the same place and of the same
nature. I knew the symptoms by this
time, and was aware OF what l was in
for.
The hot-cloth remedy was tried without
avail, and the pain spread steadily until it
covered the entire region of my abdomen.
The pain grew more intense as the days
passed, shooting up and down in my abdo-
men, and finally l was lying in bed with
my right leg drawn up to my body, unable
to move.
The physician who attended me was
unable to solve the problem, and l was
growing worse every minute Finally he
concluded that the best thing to do was to
have a consultation, and he called in sew
eral physicians Of more or less renown.
They looked me over critically, and de-
cided that l was suffering from perityph-
litis. I said that l supposed I was, al
though I did not know what they meant,
though l nave since discovered that this
was the former name for appendicitis,
which was then but vaguely limited of at
times.
I was told that l was as near deaths
door as one could possibly get and still
live, and the physicians said that an ope-
ration was all that could save me, and
then l stood only one chance in fifty. That
settled it. l resolved to take that chance,
and, in accordance with this determina-
ton, l was removed to a hospital on the
following day.
On the day that the operation was to
take place q number Of the most prom
inent surgeons of the city We're at the
hospital to witness it, as they understood
that the physicians who had me in charge
were going to make an experiment eX-
traordinary. Everything was arranged to
n nicely, and when l was wheeled into
the operating-room all was ready for my
reception.
was in an exhausted state ut that
time, but the physicians. after they placed
me on the operating-tabic. explained how
serious the situation was. They stated
that it was a case of life or death, with
the chances in favor of the latter.
I am not weak hearted but the manner
in which this was said was enough to i'm
press most anyone, and just as the little
nurse was approaching with the ether l
concluded that l would take just one
more look around before l took a chance
on passing into the great beyond.
l communicated this wish to the as
scmbled surgeons, AMI they granted it
most Graciously. One elderly man with
side whlskers raised me M oh the table
SO that l could see out Of the window, ald