The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-27
APPENDICITIS, WE CALL 1T.
King In the Best Hands in England,
New York Doctors Say.

FROM the New York sun.
The operation on the King of Eng
land, the doctors here say, was for the
removal of the vermiform appendix.
Perityphlitis in England is appendici-
tbs in the United States. The history of
the change in nomenclature is as fol-
lows: Half a century ago every case
of what is now known in this country
as appendicitis was diagnosed as in
Illumination of the bowels. About thirty
years ago Inflammation of the bowels
in England became perityphlitis. In
this country we stuck to the old name,
but something like dozen years ago
about all the cases of Inflammation OF
the bowels in the United States came
TO be called appendicitis.
Literally, perityphlitis is an infiam-
nation of the connecting tissue behind
and around the caecum. The caecum
Is the blind part of the large intestine
beyond the entrance to the small intes-
tine. The caecum is comparatively
small in man and ends in the slender
Vermiforin appendix. The Inflammation
Of the caecum and the adjacent tissue
Is most frequently a sequel of infiam-
nation of the appendix, especially IL
the Inflammation has proceeded to I'LL
ceration. PerityphlitIs runs somewhat
variable course. In one set of cases the
progress may be acute, marked by ac-
i've suppuration and leading to the
formation OF an abscess in the lilac
fcssa behind the caecum. Such an ali
scess may extend to a considerable dis
lance in the slIbperitoneal tissue up-
ward toward the spine, or downward
toward the peivis. It may open into the
.,tfN .r. A.
outward In the abdominal wall or
downward through the pelyis.
But whatever be the technical differ
ence between perityphlitis and appen-
dlcltis, the New York surgeons say
mat there is no practical difference.
Dr. Robert Able, one OF the best
known of American surgeons, said
yesterday:
"Perityphlitis and appendicitis are
the same. The former is the old
term. When we were having innam-
nation OF the bowels they in Eng
land were having perityphlitis. Later
we came to have appendicitis. bur In
England they continued to have peril
typhlitis, The outcome of the opera
uon on the King will depend entirely
on the conditions found by the oper-
ating surgeon when he reached the
appendix. If the organ was not gam
grenous, or II it had not been punc-
tured, then no i'll effects may, of ne
cessity be expected. If the appendix
was punctured the chances of recov-
cry would not be so many, but even
then the operation would not necAs-
sarily be fatal.
Il assume that Treves performed
the operation. Since Mackenzie's time
Treves has been the great surgeon of
England, and / would suppose that he
would do the operation. He is a good
man, and do not think an unfavor-
able result of the operation itself need
be feared"
DR.. Myron p. Denton, the specialist
in gynaecology and the anaeshetic ex-
pert for Drs. Bull John b. Walker and
Weir, had this to say yesterday after
noon:
IF the King has perityphlitis then
he has what we call appendicitis. The
Inflammation may be in the caecum,
but the Inflammation there came from
Inflammation In the appendix. One is
adjacent to the other and the primary
seat was, you may depend upon it.
the appendix. In this country only a
very few of our operations for The
removal of the appendix have a fatal
termination. Ten years ago most of
the operations for the removal of the
a..
terminated fatally. Now they have
changed all that, and most of the
patients get well. There is one thing
particularly in the Kings favor; the
aaesthetizers of England are the best
in the world
THE CIover-Hewitt method of CIV
ing anaesthetics originated in Eng
land. We use it here. DR.. Hewitt
devised a machine for mixing nitrous
oxide with ether and that machine is
used both in England and the United
states. By the use of 1t nitrous-ox-
ide, or laughing gas, is mixed with
the ether and the patient comes out
of the anaesthetic in much better
shape than when the ether alone was
used. Unless a septic condition was
found by the surgeons no serious re-
suits of the operation need be looked
for. But even II such a condition
were found, and the region was prop
erly walled up as we say, ii may be
taken for granted that the King will
live"
The London dispatches state that
DIR. Hewitt, whom DR.. Denton spoke
of as the great anaesthetic expert of
England, administered the anaesthetic
to his Majesty, and that Sir Frederick
Treves performed the operation.
The operation for the removal Of the
appendix, per Sc, Is quite simple. The
appendix Is a sac, about the size OF a
small lead pencil, attached TO the cae-
cum, about three inches TO the right OF
the navel and a little below II. II may
have been Of use TO our prehistoric an
cestors, but latterday surgeons have
not been able TO find that II serves any
purpose In the human anatomy III
operation 10 remove an inhamed appen- |
dix Is delayed until the walls are per- |
forated there Il grave danger from |
blood poisoning II, however. the APP |
pendix hos not been Dunctured. the /
surgeons may remove 70 with little in /
convenience 10 the patient and with /
little fear Of fatal result.
Much OF the success 81 the operatl don 1
depends on the way in which the pa
tent comes Out from the ether II he /
awakens without nausea, half 81 the /
battle is won. be- auee the wound h not /
strained by the refchlng. II there are
no complications. the patient may
leave hls bed "a she END ~ twenty one 4
days Then fhs period ~ e0nKeleseenee 4
begins and me patient may 80 about 4
hlf ordinary business in GbDnf : n40nfb 4
alter DE- has gof out "A be- bed
fbf process ~ FecupefafiDn depends /
~ apuifp. o. fhf Nenffel eguaif4on ~ i
filf innenf. ~ before tie oDsfall0n i