The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-05
HOW TO WARD OFF
APPENDICITIS
Doctor Claims That This Is
Within Range of Posi-
bility.

" Walking appendicitis, " is there sucr.
disease?' repeated a Washington physi-,
clan THIS morning to Star mans INQUIRY
Yes, it may be called such. just as ty-
pnold fever in certain stages is sometimes
called walking typhoid 1 will tell you
about it.
"a young man came to me recently
complaining of a pain in the right side'
He had, he said. felt the pain with varia-
lions of intensity or relief for about ten
days, and thought that he had hurt him
self lifting or exercising. The pain had
developed rapidly, he said within the
tWenty-four hours preceding his visit to
me- An examination showed that what
he thought to be a pain in the right side"
was an attack of appendicitis which was
swiftly approaching the highly inf1amma-
tory stage, and he would soon have been
in dangerous condition.
He was sent at once home and put
TO bed proper medical treatment given
ana IN week or so he was out. Had he
remained on his feet tWenty-four hours
longer, his getting out would have been
another matter, and an operation might
have been necessary.
The danger in the cases of all abdomi-
nal pains is this: Patients keep on their
feet, supposing the pain to be merely OF
the ordinary kind in that region. This
has often proved a fatal error On the
other hand, I have known of cases of
acute appendicitis to develop with great
sWlft9 ness within six hours after the pain
tending fever and high pulse.
The case of the patient in question
was one OF SLOW development and may
De called walking appendicitis l have
had these cases where men who have per
sisted in keeping on their feet come to
me in such a condition that they were
taken from the Office to the hospital or
nome, as the case may be- where an op-
Grafton alone saved life.
! one of the great precautionary hints
ABOUT appendicitis is that TO pain in the
| abdominal region should be taken for
! granted. When on ones feet the muscles
/ ana lntestlnes are more or less rigid and
! tne muscles are constantly brought into
| play; when in bed in a recumbent position
! they become relaxed. and if proper treat
! ment be quickly applied the inflammation
| is generally susceptible of control At
| the first intimat ton of these. pains go at
once 70 bed and send for a physician; it
may mean the saving of your life.
! "One of the principal causes of appendi-
| dlcltlS is from cold, not from seeds etc
! as Is commonly supposed by the public
Inc approach of appendicitis is a condi-
ZION ZION frequently mistaken by the subject
IOf ABOUT everything else, from ordinary
| SLonach ache to a stitch in the side
| Ihefe IS no disease to which the axiom
an ounce OF prevention is worth a pound
u cure SO aptly applies as appendicitis.
! everything depends upon getting at it in
! It's ln1tiatOry stage.
While the danger of an operation for
! 9ppendlcltis has been largely reduced UNI
| aer the trlumphs Of modern surgery. the
! possibilities of an operation are largely
! avoided by the patient getting to the doc
! Tor before the surgeon must be called to
! gGt az MN; loo much stress cannot be
| la1d upon this fact Another reason WHY
| operations for appendicitis are so fire.
! quent IS because business men and others
90 not feel that they can spare the time
~ ~ aeCupeTate thoroughly, a relapse sets
! IN ana all that has been done towards
recovery IS undone in the haste to get
ouI' uoh Try TO hurry recovery