The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-06
New Cure for Appendicitis.

WeSC. why, lCAu Oo
reputation as an appendicitis expert
that would be worth twenty thousand
year in Chicago
"What's your percentage OF cures:
asked the recently graduated NJ. u.
sJust an even hundred per cent.
''What are you giving men? There
isn't surgeon in the country who S
never lost case. Why even
eyes; but I don't use the knife,
said the other doctor interrupting.
''Medical treatment, eh? Well, l
don't hold much with that. 1t only
alleviates. Doesn't cure. What S
your method; oil?'
"No. Just water. Z"
"Hydropathic treatment Tor appen-
dicitis! You must be crazy.
"lyho said anything about hydro
pathic treatment? You hospital
youngsters always want to build up a
four.story name for everything, so as
to charge more for the bill, I reckon.
I'm telling you that I've saved loo
per cent. of my appendicitis cases by
the use of water: and now, if you'll
give me chance, I'll tell you how L
did it: but I wouldn't advise you to
follow my method. I don't follow it
myself. y
"Fire ahead, said the young doc
tor.
s.To begin with the truth, my 100
per cent. consisted Of one patient.
Appendicitis hasn't got fashionable
out our way yet. Few people know
about it, and, in my opinion, it's one
of those diseases you don't get until
you get to thinking about them.
The young doctor looked wise. "In-
voluntary muscular action due to
cere-"
"That' II do, interrupted the older
man. "I'll furnish all the foot notes
myself. This patient Of mine was a
chap named Dunby, big, robust fel-
low, a great eater and too lazy to take
exercise. Consequently his stomach
was troubling him. Well, one day lie
got hold Of semi-medical paper con-
tanning long and grcwsome article on
appendicitis. That was the first intl-
nation he had that he was the proud
possessor of vermiform appendix.
AS soon as he discovered it, it began
to bother him. He kept poking and
prodding himself to see if he had any
pains there, and naturally he made
himself sore. One day he came down
to my office white as sheet.
"sI've got it, Doc,' he said; I've
got it.
Z" Got what?" | asked.
Appendicitis can feel it swell
ing up. 1t must be lemon seed or
something, though I've been careful
not to swallow anything of that sort.
ss'You We got stomache ache, and
that's ALL I said.
"'Stomache ache! Oh, if you
could feel it. I'm dead man.
"'You re blooming fool, said,
and you'll be dead fool if you scare
yourself into it. Lie down here and
let me look you over.
"The result Of my examination was
such as to assure me that Dunby was
suffering from bad fit Of Indigestion
and scare combined. [ tried to get
him to look at it that way, but he
wouldn have it. That internal mcdi-
cal article was firmly fixed in his ap-
pendix vermiformis. and though | was
satisfied there was nothing else there,
he was likely to die Of it. | got him
home and returned to my office to
smoke pipe over the problem, prom
ising to return that evening. When
| got back there was little blue
mark on his abdomen.
Modification, moancd Dunby.
LAS ii matter Of fact, it was simply
slight bruise caused by his continu-
al prodding at himself. but | had
formed my plan and proceeded to act
upon it.
slou were right, Dunby said.
It's appendicitis. That mark shows
it.
":oh, my God! he cried. Send
for my brother. want to see my
nearest relative before ! die.
.'You aren going to die, said.
You re going to be cured this very
night. Ilows the pain?
.'(;onc. Numbncss OF approach
ing death, he gurglcd.
Keep your nerve up, | told him.
Then | went to Il carpenter and had