The Portland daily press., 1899-03-07
sueABoo OF APPENDICITIS
How TO Tell when You Have IL and the
Right Thing TO DO.
Boston Herald }

Al pendfcitis IL one of the bugbears oil
life that appears TO have come recently 10
worry mankind, though DIR. II. ID. Eiios'
at the Ladies' Physiological Institute yes
tertlay. said 1t was undoubtedly common
enough, always diguised under name
like inflammation Of the bowels.
DR.. Elliot's address was more OF con-
yersation than otherwise, designed to tell
ntslI icent people what they ought to
know about it, without going into details
a. treatment. The latter phase was
summed up in the dictum send Tor the
doctor without delay" with emphasis on
the last two words The importance OF
the. injunction lay in the peculiarities OF
the disease, which often pursues normal
course to recovery without the use OF the
surgeons knife, but if the knife is need
ed 1t must be USED quickly, and only
trained judgment can decide on the
timely moment.
All the anatomy needed for the patient
was confined to the locating of the vermi-
form appendix vestige of former stages
in the evolution of mankind, with no mp
parent use now except to use appendl-
oitis. If line be drawn from the right
front point of the hip bone, or lilac crest
to the navel, the appendix Is usually un.
der the middle of the lire With general
rain in the abdomen, ana tenderness to
pressure over this spot, fears OF appenul-
citis are well warranted and physlcl an
should be called.
The appendix was described as a short
wormhke tube from three to six inches
long usually the shorter length, ana
abundantly supplied with lymphoid tissue.
Abe tonsils in the mouth are the most
familiar examples of lynlphoid tissue, one
of the characteristics of which is readl-
ness to become inilamed when poisoned
by bacteria. As in tonsilitis, the milan
nation of the appendix Will burn Itself
out. exceut that in the latter case there Is
danger of tho tube becoming perforated
eby its ulcsrations and the infiamed con
tents leaking into the interstitial tissues
oil tie abdomen. When this latter event
happens, it is case OF cutting the thlng
uut Quick or calling in the undertaken
Not all the cases reach this serious stage
aud physicians have come to believe that
II no symptoms OF perforation appear-ex-
trene fever. increased pain, much high
er temperature, etc.-for three days there
qlre strong hopes of cure without the aid
of the surgeon. The adverse symptoms
come on very suddenly however, and de-
mAnd unhesitating surgery.
Much pains was taken to point out that
Appendicitis was not the matter OF stray
grape stones or other small objects getting
caught in the tube. by far the greatest
number of cases are traced to the poison
ing of the lympohid tissue by the escape
into the appendix of the contents of the
,colcn, 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, OF
even in fairly good health, are able to
kill off bacteria that smay invade them,
the familiar dependence of stonsilitis. on a
run down" condition of the health being
exactly in line with the danger of having
Appendicitis. The prevention OF the dis
ease thus epends more on getting all the
fresh air, sunshine ana nutritiye tood
that is possible than inIthe avoidance OF
grapes, cherries and the like, that are
popularity credited with appendioital dan
ger.
A curious relation has zbeen noted be-
tWesn the disease and movements calling
for sustained bending of the body toward
on the hips. Bicycling, playing rush on
foot ball eleven. scrnb6ing "a Hoor whilt
standing on the feet instead of being OF
hands ana knees nre thespositione which
appear to predispose to appendicitis. This
was thought 10 be due to the irritation OF
the appendix. which in those movements
is caused TO rlb to and fro over the tense
edge of the long tailor muscle of the leg.
It had been noted that the disease was
rather prevalent among people who were
for long periods in such positions, the re-
mark being suggested by question as TO
the benefits to women Of bicycling.
The wheel was pronounced a great hene
fit, indeed, but the "scorcher's" position
was an invitation to appendicitis. The
moral was of course, TO sit up straight.