The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
CASES OF APPENDICITIS.
THE Causes or THE DISFASE Avn
TREATMENT % T.


WAY Of Curing IL nv Removing the Ap-
pendis-A Another Il by Draining II.
The recent death Of Edward o. lpech Of
complications resulting from M attack Of
appendicitis has excited renewed ln'errs,
In that disease. Mr. Iecch was n well-known
Cubman. a. well ~ n lnaDcier, and since
his death men at the clubs have talked much
of his death and Of the disease Of which he
died, lie was unusually vigorous. lull
habited and fond Of the good thing, Of life.
An hour or two before he felt the pain which
medical men know Is the herald Of appen-
dicitis, Mr.. l.eecl was chatting with friends
AT the Union League Club A. the hour AT
which he usually dined approached, he went
home TO dress for dinner, While dressing,
b" felt the pain in the right side OF his abdu-
men. That was the beginning of The end
' he operating surgeon was called, the opera
ion Was performed and the appendix was
found 10 be xangrenous. II was found that
the gangrene had spread 10 the surrounding
walls Of The periloneum. The operation was
successful. but the septic poison WAS not TO
be wiriistood and of that he died.
and this was the condition Of an organ
Of an apparently healthy mans body, and
the man didn't even know that hs was in dan
ger. Many persons are asking II there
i no way by which one may be- warned that
his vermiform appendix IL in al unhealthy
conditio The medical men saw there j..
Because really enin ent practitioners do not
desire notoristy and are not In need Of ad-
yertising, The suns authorities for what
follows must be ANONYMOUS.
There appears 10 be no good reason WHY
anybody should have appendicitis, because
there appears Ia b- no good reason why any
body should iAve a verniform appendix.
When men and women wer. apes or some
other animal, there may have been "a use for
this organ, but, 80 far as the medical men know,
II performs no function in the human BODY
to-day other tlsn to cause pain and make
work for surgeons According 10 the medical
dictionaries, the appendix Is a lube-shaped
sac, about the size Of n goose quill, which
hangs from the blind intestine, Al the top,
or mouth. i, is open. and the intestinal fluids.
when conditions are healthy, flow in and ont.
H. tides ebb and flow IN an estuary Of the sea.
The cause Of appendicitis is an Infiamma-
ton in the appendix. The Inflammation may
he produced from any one Of a number OF
causes The most frequent calre is Constl-
patton II may also he caused 10y Il partiCt-
lHrly severe cold, very violent exercise or
any one of many similar conditions. The
| appendix il surrounded, or walled IN, by a
series Of tissues, the outside of which IN the
thick unyipldiny tissue 81 the perItoneunl.
When the Inflammation sets IN, it causes a
| swelling on the interior Of the appendicular
| tube. The more aggravated the cause of
the inflammation the more violent the swell
ing Usually the swelling occurs near
the top or mouth Of the appendix the
protuberances ON each side Of the walls Of
| the tube meet and the mouth " the appen-
dix becomes closed. Then some Of the germs
| which are indigenous TO the bowels, and which
float about through that locality nj will in
a healthy person, with the gases and fluids
u the lntestines, become confined In the appen-
din and appendicitis j. the result
The warning Of the disease is a pain IN
the right side OF the abdomen. q few inches
above and 10 the left Of the er0ln. When one
faels a pain in that place. the wlsest thing &c
do is TO call u physician al once, 1t may be that
the pain i, only indicative of what physicians cal
appendicular cole, or il may mean a we'll
developed attack Of appendicitis. according
10 the aCutaness OF the pain. AppendiCular
cole may he cured without an operation. The
highest authorities on the subject say that q
wrll-d-Vtioped attack of appendicitis necessl-
tateS an operation, although some assert they
do not believe in operations Al all, and that
they have, treated many acute eases with never
"A fatal result.
AppeudIcular col!c j. not appendicitis. be-
| cause the inflammation IN the appendix has
not produced a swelling on The interior walls
great enough 10 have closed The mouth OF The
| uppendiCular tube In such cases the approved
, treatment Of authorizes on the disease Includes
absolute rest and quiet FOR the patient. the
taking OF n sufficiently strong c%athsrtiic and
al. .,I. ~ ia IAA mn tyn mod n fAlN
over the appendix OF either Ice Bugs or hot
water bags A tor the outward Application.
the Use ot ice bags s-tms 10 be preferred 10
that Of hot water bags, although in many cases
the hot applications have accomplished thu
desired result: which Is, OF course TO reduce
the Inflammation.
appendix IL 80 attached. 10 speak after the
manner 81 Il lGytuHil that WITH every step one
takes IL strikes against the walls oil the peri
toneuin. This Tapping. OF course tends To
increase the Inflammation, and 10 make This
impossible il why the absolute rest Is pre-
scribed, nder this treatment, " the Gaze be
really appendirular collie ana not appendicitis.
the patient RECEIVERS his usual h'Hlth IN from
two 10 five day.
II The pain experienced be- paI ticularly
acute il e pretty safe To conjecture, that
II j. caused by a sure-enOugh attack of
appendicitis. In that event The authorities
appear to be agreed that there are
tWu methods OF treatment. EItler method
REQUIRE, an operation. One operation Involves
the removing OF the appendix. The other opera.
ton involves an lncis.on 'nn me appendix ana
a draining of Of the contents Winch treatment
shall be pursued depends entirely upon the sur
geon selected 10 perform the operation. aud
also upon The aCutrness of the attack In some
cases all tlr authorities agree that IN the removal
of III. appendix LES the only possibility Of saving
the lite " the patient.
I'LL. aid ,hHt prs Bull. Make, Weir and
whenever thut mny lie possible. Other noted
surgeons, like DIR. Morri-. DR. EdcbOhls. Dr
Able and soH" Others, believe that TIE removal
Of the appendix Is the only thorough and ,ntis-
factory method Of treating an acute attack
of appendicitis. The draining process usual
| involves the removal OF the app-ndiy AT a sub
-rqleut operation, but those VIII" h.!leve IN
this method Of treatment arr not without their
appear to b. agreed that, Ia Itself,
the operation for emnwng- the appendiN
Is comparatively simple. II u said hat
from the operation alone not more than
3 per cent. Of the patients operated upon die,
IL i the resultant complications that. pro-
duca death. In the case Of Mr.. lecch IN"
! upprauon was entirely successful The ply
stefan who performed the Operation - one 81
the most famous surgeons not only 81 ms
country. but of the world. Death IN Mr., l.eCh'S
case resulted from the poisoning which followed
the operation and which. on account of III" com
ditions, all the skill ~ all IN" world could not
have Cumbatsd,
Those who advocatn the draining process a.
first LAY that II j. EASIER ~ prevent septic poi
-oning or other complications by draining. the
appendix than by removing. II; They hold
that to punclur" the appeDdiCular tub" and
drain of the fuids aud gases which cause ~"
Inflammation l. -afer, b%ecan'eIl leaves the walls
| of the aplendix intact. except IN the one place
where the p~uucture il made, aud thus prevents
SEPTIC poisoning from spreading 10 the peri
toneum. II l. said tha, II this treatment be
! followed the paticTt RECEIVERS from the attack
Of a~Dpcudlcitis. Is able TO recuperate. 30 get h-
., IT,, . a tom, in n healthy tpnultInn and H. tInl