The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17

science Is never dogmatic until the point
OF demonstration is reached. 1t is for
the purpose OF suggesting a rational treat
ment for appendicitis that this article Is
written, and the interests of humanity de-
manC a careful consideration OF the prop
ositions here advanced, by the medical
profession as well as by the laity. The
treatment has the merit Of being almost
invariably successful in practice. saving
more than % per cent of the cases with
out surgery, and the further merit of be-
ing based on reason and the relation of
cause to effect. In every case of appen-
dicitis there are two things to be accom-
plished. viz. the removal OF the cause and
the allaying of the Inflammation.
MANIPULATING PROCESS.
The removal of the cause or the pressing
out Of the foreign substance from the APP
pendix is accomplished by the following
manipulation: landing on the right side
Of the bed on which the patient is lying.
place your left hand on the abdomen with
the finger tips covering the navel, the heel
Of the hand pressing upon the ascending
colon, toward the crest of the right hip
bone. Press firmly with this hand, to hold
the COlOl III pOSlllOI. -NON grasp II pa
tents right knee with your right hand,
and bring the thigh up upon the abdomen
with an easy. springing pressure, repeating
the movement a number of times. This
brings the leg and abdomen into the shape
of the letter V and exerts a pressure which
forces all the contents Of the lilac region
upward; carefully and repeatedly applied
this manipulation will seldom fail to re-
move the obstruction from the vermiform
appendix.
But in case the manipulation is not sue
c~essful, or if the Inflammation and tender
ness have became so great as 10 make IL
impossible TO apply il, the effort must be
10 reduce the soreness and prevent ex-
cessive Inflammation. The first important
consideration of treatment in appendicitis,
as in all other forms Of acute disease, is
entire abstinence from food of every kind.
Next TO the superstitious belief in the
efficacy Of drugs, the fear Of starvation
has been the greatest obstacle in the way
Of the rational treatment of disease. No
one will starve to death in a day, or IN ten
days. The average man or woman can live,
and maintain a good degree of strength,
for from twenty 10 forty days, without
food. This has been fully proved by a
large number Of carefully conducted ex-
periments. The contention OF DR. Dewey,
that strength does not come from food, but
from rest and sleep. and that food serves
no other purpose than to supply the ele-
ments for tissue building, is worthy of care
full consideration, to say the least. 1t is a
we'll known fact that animals ~instinctively
abstain from food during acute illness, and
the claim that man. if left to follow his
self-protective instinct, would take the
same course seems to be grounded on fact.
No physiological fact has come nearer
mathematical certainty OF demonstration
than that the functions Of digestion and
assimilation are greatly impaired or COM
pletely suspended in all those cases where
the appetite is taken away. There appears
to be absolutely nothing 20 show that food
is ever assimilated when forced into the
Stomach without appetite; there are strong
reasons for believing that in all such cases
food is disposed of by decomposition, and
forms a putrid mass of poisonous material
in the intestines, a terrible source of toxic
~impregnatiOn to the blood. This is eSpe-
cialIy the case in those diseases which pri-
marily affect the digestive tract itself; the
whole machinery of alimentation invariably
suspends work in sympathy with the at
fected part. To force food material through
an infiamed and suffering alimentary canal,
in defiance of the protests of nature, which
has taken away the appetite, is an error of
practice little short of murderous. Appen-
dicitis is one of the class Of diseases in
which peculiar force should be given to
the warning which is applicable in every
case of acute illness. DO not feed the
severely sick.
After the operation for appendicitis has
been performed it is becoming the Gus
tomary practice to insist on entire absti-
hence from food for at least ten days. The
person who could survive ten days Of fast
ing after such an operation would certainly
fast at least ten days before the same; and
there is every probability that if food were
interdicted upon the first warning of in
festival distress nature would be sufficient
for the emergency in almost every case,
and very few would come TO the operating
table. In every case presenting the symp-
toms of appendicitis, remember that there
is deadly danger in feeding. In addition to
the Introduction of food it is we'll to empty
the colon in the beginning of every case by
means of a cOpious injection Of warm
water; in no case should cathartics be
given. Following the injection, II the
symptoms are severe, apply hot fomenta-
tons. persisting until the distress subsidies;
follow this with careful massage of the
| abdomen, beginning on the left side, grad
ually approaching the seat of the difficulty.
persevering for hours, If necessary, until
the tenderness is sufficiently abated to per-
nit the application OF the special manipu-
lation for appendicitis described above.
Here, then, is a treatment which is easy
to apply. even by the laity. 1t is rational.
because 1t is based on conditions, not on
| theories; it is almost infallibly certain in
| operation, and is easy TO remember, because
it can be summed UP in three short SEN
fences: Do not feed; use hot lamentations
and massage; and apply the manipulation
for expelling the contents OF the appendix.
w. D. WATTLES.
| Greentown, Ind.