The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-06-28
Appendicitis Cured Without Knife.

Can Il genuine, we'll authenticated,
llnadulteratcd case OF appendicitis be
cured without q surgical operatione Is
there Il way to reach the seat OF the
trouble and remove the cause without
the use OF knife?
Physicians and surgeons have gene
rally held to the idea that it is only by
removing the troublesome vermiform
appendix that the seat Of the trouble
can be reached and cure effected, but
here is one who thinks to the contrary
and seems to have demonstrated 1t in
one very severe case. lie is DR.. George
j. Helmer, of New York, and so re-
markably simple was the method em-
ployed by DR.. Helmer that the story
OF the cure is told in the newspapers.
The Press gives the details.
The patient was a young. woman
about twenty years oil age and q men,
ber Of an excellent Harlem family. At
her own request her name is not given,
but tine facts are fully youched for.
According to these, only eight minutes
elapsed from the time the physician
had reached the patient until he had
completed his work, as he believes,
successfully. When Dr.. Helmer reach
ed his patient he found her in great
pain. She had had similar attacks be-
fore and two physicians, one OF them
the family physician for many years
and the otlier a physician who had
attended her in Atlantic Highlands, n.
j., had pronounced the trouble appen-
dicitis, and had stated positively that
she would have to be operated upon
with q knife.
The treatment of DR.. Helmer was
said to be so instantaneous in its effects
and so simple and harmless in its ap-
plication that some physicians are in
cclincd to wonder why it was not dis
covered and made use of before. 10
one looking on the operator seems only
to apply one hand to the point midway
between the top of the right leg and a
Doint above the stomach; then bend up
the right leg OF the patient ut the knee
ioint and give the leg slight twist by
mcpns OF a quick motion. repeated two
or three times, and the operation is
ended.
The appendix is Il rudimentary organ
which in man has no use. i'll some ami
mails it has. Yet It's supplied with
arteries and veins. The disease known
as appendicitis is simply cloSslng OF
the appendix, Il little sack. by food
The pain, which sometimes is excruci-
ating, is caused by the clogglng OF the
veins so that when the blood continues
to be forced into the appendix by the
heart through the arteries it is pre-
vented BY the clogging OF the veins
from passing out again.
The operation performed by Dr. Hell
mer was nothing more rOr less, as he
describes it, than the forcing out OF the
appendix OF the clogging particles that
occupied it. 10 do this from the out
side and by merely mechanical means
requires the most perfect knowledge OF
the human anatomy and long practice.
but when once understood is simple
enough.
Just back of the appendix is the
largest muscle in the human body,
known us the psoas magnus. 1t is at
tachcd to the fcmur or big bone OF the
leg, and is the muscle by which one
can revOlvc the leg as on a pivot at the
heel. 1t is this muscle which is made
to do the trick Of emptying the appen-
dix. Using the fingers OF one hand to
hold the walls of the abdomen in place
and to prevent rupture OF the delicate
internal structures, with the other hand
spasmodic contraction Of the psOas
magnus is brought about, which snaps
it against the appendix and forces out
Of that organ whatever foreign SUD-
stances it may contain:
DR.. Helmcr, according to the press
report, would not discuss the case at
first, bat afterward, at the request OF
the patient who thought 1T might be a
benefit to the public to have the facts
known, did explain it. AS illustration
of how these foreign substances are
expelled from the appendix, the doctor
placed the thumb Of the reporters LETT
hand fatty in the palm OF his right
hand. Then he slapped the palm, OF
the hand smartly against the broad OF
the thumb.
"The hand represents the psoas
muscle" he said, land the thumb the
appendix. We produce IL spasmodic
contraction of the ps0as magnus, like
the slapping of the palm OF the hand
against the thumb. This forces the
foreign substance from the appendix.
and relief follows Immediately.
1t was suggested by the reporter that
this hardly could be considered cure,
rs the disease might return when the
appendix became clOgged again.
"That is true" said the doctor, but
the same is true OF any disease you
name. No physician, in curing a dis,
ease, givesa guarantee that it will no not
occur under favorable conditions. We
think we do we'll even to relieve III SO
simple and painless a manner q disease
that hitherto has been regarded as
most serious and in many cases tatal
onn y