The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-10-07
IN CASE OF APPENDICITIS
This Disease by n BOsts
Physician.

Some useful facts about appendicitis,
what it is, what causes it, and what to
do if you think you have it, were given
In an address recently in Boston by DIR.
Il. M. Elliot.
DIR. Elliot emphasized the Importance
of sending for the doctor without de-
lay if there is reason to suspect the
presence of the disease. If it should be
found necessary to use knife to cut
out the diseased vermiform appendix
DR.. Elliot said that every minute gained
for the doctor was equally in favor of
the patients recovery.
Most people do not know where the
vermiform appendix is located. If a
line be drawn from the right front point
of the hip bone, or lilac crest, to the
navel, the appendix is usually under the
middle of the line. With general pain
in the abdomen and tenderness to pres
sure over this spot, fears of appendicitis
are web warranted, and a physician
should be called.
The appendix was described as
short, wormlike tube from three to six
inches long, usually the shorter length,
and abundantly supplied with lymphoid
tissue. The tonsils in the mouth are the
most familiar examples of lymphoid it's
sue, one of the characteristics of which
is readiness to become infiamed when
poisoned by bacteria. AS in tonsilitis,
the inflammation of the appendix will
burn itself out, except that in the latter
case there is danger of the tube becom-
ing perforated by its alterations and
the infiamed contents leaking into the
interstitial tissues of the abdomen.
When the latter happen, it is case of
cutting the thing out quickly or calling
in the undertaken.
Not all the cases reach this serious
stage, and physicians have come to be-
lieve that if no symptoms OF perforation
appear-extreme fever, increased pain,
much higher temperature. etc.-for
three days, there are strong hopes of
cure without the aid of the surgeon.
The adverse symptoms come on very
suddenly, however, and demand unhesi-
tating surgery.
dicitis was not due to stray grape
stones or other small objects getting
caught in the tube. BY far the greatest
number of cases are traced TO the poi
soning of the lymphoid tissue by the es-
cape into the appendix of the contents
of the colon, the large intestine. Even
at that the chances of having trouble
depend mainly on the general tone of
the system.
The organs of the body. in perfect, or
even in fairly good health, are able to
kill off bacteria that may invade them,
the familiar dependence of tonsilitis on
a ''run down" condition of the health
being exactly in line with the danger
OF having appendicitis. The prevention
Of the disease thus depends more on
getting all the fresh air, sunshine and
nutritiye food that is possible than on
the avoidance of grapes, cherries and
he like, that are popularity credited |
with appendicital danger.
A curious relation has been noted be-
tween the disease and movements call |
ing for sustained bending of the body
forward on the hips. Bicycling. playing
rush on football eleven, scrubbing a |
foor while standing on the feet instead |
of being on hands and knees. are the |
positions which appear to predispose to
This was thought to be |
1ue to the irritation of the appendix,
which in those movements is caused to
'ub to and fro over the tense edge of the
ong tailor muscle of the leg. 1t had
been noted that the disease was rather
PREVALENT among people who were for
ong periods in such positions, the re-
mark being suggested by question as
o the benefits to women of bicycling.
The wheel was pronounced great
'enefit, indeed. but the "scorcher's' DO
ition was an invitation to appendicitis.
The moral was, of course, to sit ur
traight.-N. Y. World.
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