The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-18
APPENDICITIS NEWLY TREATED.
Done without Using Knife in
Eight Minutes.
From the New York Press.

Press.
One of the most unusual operations yet
recorded in surgery was performed recent
ly on young woman in this city by which
was effected the cure of a case of appen-
dicitis. No knife was used. no medicine.
no poultiees, no ice packs, none OF the Us
ual methods of physicians and surgeons
TO treat this most serious of ailments. So
simple was the method employed that only
eight minutes elapsed from the time the
physician reached the patient until he had
completed his work, and, as he believes
successfully.
The young woman is 20 years old and be-
longs TO an excellent family in Haricm
She naturally does not care to have her
name used IN connection with the story
so Il Is withheld. The operation was
performed by DR.. George j. Helmer Of
Madison avenue and Thirty first street.
Or. Helmer was called early one nornine 3,
several weeks ago, He found the patient
had had similar attacks before, and two
physicians, one of them the family phvsi-
cian for many years and the other a phy-
sician who had attended her IN Atlantic
Highlands, N. j., had pronounced the
trouble appendicitis and had stated pos-
itively that she would have to be operated
upon with knife.
Patient Got Relief at Once.
The treatment of DIR. Melmer was said To
be so instantaneous in lis effects and so
simple and harmless in its application
that some physicians are inclined 10 Won
der why It was not discovered ana made
use OF before. To one looking on the one r
ator seems only TO apply one hand 10 the
point midway between the top of the right
les and a point above the stomach: then
bend up the right leg of the patient at the
knee Joint and give the leg a slight twist
by means of a quick motion. repeated two
or three times, and the operation is ended.
The appendix is a documentary organ
which In man has no use; in some ami
mails it has. Vet ii is supplied with arte-
ries and veins. The disease known as an
peudicilis is simply a clogging Of the an
pendix, a little sack, by food particles 50
that Inflammation sets in. The main.
which sometimes is excruciating, Is caused
by the eiogging OF The veins 50 that when
the blood continues to be forced into the
appendix by the heart through the ayte-
ries il is prevented by the closging of the
Veins from passing out again.
Requires Long Practice.
The operation performed by DIR. Heln,er
was nothing more nor less, as he desc ribes
it, than the forcing out of the apnendix al
the clogging particles that occupied h, TO
do this from the outside and by mere ~
mechanical means requires the most per
fecs knowledge of the human anatomy
aus long practice, but when cnce under
stood Is simple enough.
Just back of the appendix is The largest
muscle in the human body, known rs The
psoas magnus u is attached to Nc fenng
or big bone of the leg. and Is the muscle
bv which one can revolve the leg as on n
pivot at the ncSi. II IS TINS muscle which
Is made tb do the trick of emntyinr The
appendix. Using the fingers of one hand
tc told the walls of the abdomen IN Mace
and 60 prevent rupture of the delicate
inter- al structures, with the other hand
q spasmodic contraction Of The asoas mas
nus is brought about Whicn snaDs ii
against the appendix and force on 81 that
organ whatever OF foreign substances IL
may contain.
Dr. Helmer would not at first discuss
! the case. He afterwards obtained the
consent Of the patient to do so. She be-
.eVine It 70 lie q matter of rrb,;c bepe-
fit 10 have 1t known that there was a re-
lief for appendicitis other than by the
| knife. lie said:
"The method of treatment is tho ono
used by all osteopathists, and has been IN
use by them for some time X seldom
fails o. being effectual, and certainly Is
| by which the appendix IS removed .
Danger in some Cases.
! Asked to explain in a simple wav how
| the expulsion of his foreign substance
J from the appendix is accomplished the
| doctor placed the thumb of the reporter's
| left hand fatty in the palm of MS rioht
! hand. Then he slapped the palm of The
| hand smartly against the broad OF the
! thumb.
''The hand represents the psoas mus
/ Gle, ne said, land the thumb the appen-
| dix We produce a spasmodic contractfn,,
| of the psoas magnus like the slapnine
of the palm of the hand against me
| thumb. This forces the foreign snhstanee
from the appendix. and relief follows
| Immediately"
Ii was suggested by the reporter that
I this hardly could be considered a cure