The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-14
Medical Notes.

Appendicitis is always Of interest, al
though every one prays to be delivered
from it, yet may be stricken down any
minute with it. There are q few con-
serVatfce physicians who still cling to the
medical trea tment of this disease and
EPSON salts is their favorite remedy.
The majority, however, believe in opera
ton, but time is everything in the re-
suit. DR.. Murphy says: Every case,
promising or unpromising, should be
treated by surgical operation at the
earliest possible moment Dr. Wyeth
says: In all my entire experience with
this lesion (appendicitis) 1 have yet to
see a death which could properly be
ascribed to delay in timely and skillful
surgical interference. DR.. Morgan, of
Augusta, Ga, says: How many die an
nually of this disease we do not know,
nor is 1t at all likely that we will ever
know. Our present statistics are almost
worthless There is no Disgusting the
fact the mortality Of appendicitis Is high,
and will remain So, as long as our pres
ent methods obtain. There is danger to
life in appendicitis in all it's forms and
in all of its stages, butzthe real cause of
the high mortality can be expressed In
two words, delay and inexperience. The
disease is sometimes so mild and the
symptoms so masked that it IS not no.
ticed and certainly not recognized as
such by the person afflicted, or if noticed
1t is deemed Of too slight Importance to
call a physician. Sometimes even the
physician fails to recognize ill-defned
cases of appendicitis. Yet first attacks
have a strong tendency. to, recurrence.
McBurney says: When a patient has
had two attacks he will as surely have
third as he will have the eleventh after
the tenth, and every attack renders an
operation more difficult and more risky.
There is a method Of treatment called in
terval-operation in accordance with
which the surgeon waits for. an interval
of euietness on the part of. the appendix
but this interval of quiescence does not
always occur and the patient dies during
the waiting period. There is continuous
peril hanging over every person who has
had appendicitis and every attack in
creases the difficulties of the surgeon
and the danger to the patient, but when
the operation is done during the first
twelve or twentyfour hours it is almost
without danger,
In cases of various palsies of the
tongue, affecting the motive powers Of
that organ. or the taste, four tests are
used as follows: Bitter. A solution OF
a quarter of a grain of sulphate of OUT
nine in an ounce of distilled water, MAX
ing "a 0.05 per cent solution Sweet A
solution Of one-tenth of a grain Of sa3-
chartne to one ounce of distilled water
making a 0.02 per cent solution. Sour.
Three minims of pure phosphoric acid TO
an ounce Of distilled water making
066 per cent solution. Salty Five
grains of chloride of sodium (salt) to an
ounce Of distilled water, making a OF
per cent solution. One drop of each OF
these solutions is placed on the tongue
successfully, and the answers as to the
taste recorded. Each side of the tongue
the tip, the middle and the base, is
thus tested, the mouth being rfnsed
out with pure water between each test
A difference in the degree of taste shows
increased or decreased sensibilfty ALI
the tests are made with one solution be-
fore using another. The solutions are
inexpensive and harmless and considera-
bic amusement may be had by testing
the sensitiveness of taste of various in
dtvtduals, some showing extreme deli
cacy of taste and others showing marked
dullness of constituencies even when sew
eral drops of a solution are used.
DR.. Doerfler, who recommends butter
in the treatment of constipation in chill
dren who are otherwise healthy, believes
that the constipation in such cases is
not a disease but an obstruction of the
bowels due to too much food. During the
first two or three months a half to a
teaspoonful Of butter is given until the
bowels act regularly and normally Be
tween the third and fourth month give
two to three teaspoonfuIs until relief
follows. and then continue the dose ev-
cry second or third day. From five
months to q year one to three table
spoonfuls are given every two or three
days. In older children and adults the
same remedy may be given as needed
The butter is given in it's natural form,
not warmed or mixed with any otner
substance. Every child will take the
butter with relish and pale and pasty
children become red-cheeked and hearty
the benefits being noticeable up to the
fifth and sixth year. In addition 1t in
creases the nourishing elements of food