The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-24
ARE YOU SICK?
If So You May Have Appendix
citis.
Topeka Hospitals Rushed to
Care For Patients.
MANY CASES REPORTED
Unusual Number Keep the Sur
geOns Busy.
DR.. L. HI. Mum Discusses the
Causes and Effect.
[ANY CASES REPORTED

Despite the fact that this year has
been an unusually healthful one here,
and the number Of deaths has been
greatly decreased over the same period
one year ago, tine Topeka hospitals are
almost taxed to their capacity
Stormont hospital. since the new adj
ditfon has been completed. has facili-
ties for the care of 50 patients, and if
crowded by a little effort 40 patients
may be cared for at one time.
This is usually termed the dull sea-
son at the hospitals. However, so far
this summer it has been far from dull
for the practicing surgeons ana nurses
at the local institutions.
In fact, the record this year is un-
precedented in the history of the local.
work At Christ hospital, where facll-
tiles are provided for the care OF 5V
patients, the doctors have been rushed
from morning till night in caring Tor
the patients.
DR. J. G. McClintock says that the
last three months have been the busiest
he has ever had. During the month OF
May he made IS surgical operations,
and during the m onth of June he MADE
81 operations. During July the work
has fallen off some, but there is still
enough to keep him very busy
An astonishing fact is the large per
centage of appendicitis cases Wnlch
have come to the attention of the doc
tors at the hospitals. At Christ hos
pital about 80 cases have been treated
this spring. At Stormont an approx
mate number have been treated Ihere
are now six cases at Stormont OF q
sum total of ten for the month Of july
mo one knows how old the disease
Of appendicitis is" said DR.. Mum,
IN talking over the situation today II
was first begun to be known and treat
ed as such in about 1885, People no
doubt had appendicitis before that
time, but the earlier doctors, having
had no research and lnyestigation
along this line, called it Inflammation
of the bowels or some similar com
plant and treated it as such, with OF
course the only logical result, death.
TT was about this time that 1T was
discovered for what it really Is, and
with each succeeding year the methods
of treatment and the knowledge OF the
CON plant have increased SO that during
the past, say, five years, the fatality
from appendicitis operations has been
small. Speaking for myself, in all the
cases I have had, the percentage or
fatality has been about per cent
This, of course, includes extreme cases
which had been allowed TO go too long
before being brought to the attention
of a. doctor and which as such are sure
to result fatally"
is well worth knowing. He says; In
the early days of men, hundreds and
perhaps thousands of years ago, II IS
said when the modern ways Of pre-
people lived on a coarser food, they
had need for additional digestive or
gans than we have, and Il IS beAeVed
that the little sack which causes al
the trouble in appendicitis cases IS the
remnant of this digestive organ. AS
the needs for this organ are being done
away with, nature is gradually dis
pensing with the organ.
sAll the trouble originates from the
secretion of foreign matter in this tube
OF sac Very rarely is this foreign
matter a grapeseed, so people should
not be alarmed at eating grapes Sta
tistics show that less than one per cent
of the cases of appendicitis grow from
the grape seed The usual case is
where a sediment is deposited In the
sac during the process of digestion and
which afterwards irritates the tube and
inf1ames it.
1.-THE symptoms of the disease are
very marked and one who is afflicted
may learn at once what is the matter
The first notice is pains in the loins or
abdomen, eventually localizing in the
right abdomen. This is followed with
sweating and chills and the pain be-
comes severe. At this stage the matter
should be reported to a doctor A dag
nosis of the case may then be made
which will furnish the doctor with In
formation as to when the operation
may best be performed. Various cases
differ as to the length of time which
should elapse before the operation #
it is allowed to run too long there is
really no necessity for an operation
for 1t would do no good.
IF person who is operated upon
lives three days after the operation, we
consider he will recover; and if he does
nicely for five days. we count them as
we'll. It of course requires different
lengths of time in the different cases
for a complete recovery.
TT is surprising how quickly the peo-
pie are learning the value of the hos
pitfalls. How much better they may be |
treated at a hospital than at home. |
And take for instance the appendicitis /
cases. Years ago there was a time |
when it was almost impossible to get I
the permission of a person for an APP
pendicitis operation, they preferring to |
let 1t run along and end in death rather 2
then to undergo the operation. But of I
late years the people have begun to
learn the comparative small danger /
that is connected with the operations |
and submit readily. And there is prac-
tically no danger in an operation if it |
is made in good season.
The local hospitals are fast gaining |
a reputation throughout the state and /
nearby states. A great many of the /
patients who are treated here are
brought from nearby cities and towns |
K1rUG rEEnncrH nEr-T rrw1r.~