Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-14
CAUSE OF APPENDICITIS
DISEASE FOUND MAINLY AMONG
MEN WHO EAT MEAT.
An Able and Somewhat Caustic Essay
by a French Physi-
clan.
From the Paris Matin.

From the Paris Matin.
1t is long time since appendicitis has
been discussed at the Academy of Med
icine. True. we have had vacations, and
though appendicitis is not idle, the academy
supposes 1t ought to rest during the months
OF August and September. And. beside. 1t
begins to become dif3cult to say anythiag
new on a question which for ten years past
has made SO much ink and blood run. 1t
is DR.. Chauvel, medical inspector of the
army, who has belled the cat by study on
the frequency Of appendicitis in the French
army.
A little detail in passing. During the year
1902 the military hospitals received 66S pa
tents afflicted with appendicitis. Out OF
this number 1873 have been treated accord
ing to the surgical rite, and 4S0 have re-
ceived purely medical treatment, al
though, according to a celebrated mot. 1.-THE
medical treatment of appendicitis does not
exist OF the 1873 operated on with the
knife, % died; while the $50 not treated
with the knife furnished but deaths
scarcely 1 per cent. Thus, theoretically.
medical treatment does not exist; but prdc-
tfcally. medical treatment cures ninety
nine out of hundred. This Is vexatous
for the theorists, but not to be treated wrn
contempt by the sick.
In the Army.
The interesting point in the statistical
study of NJ. Chauvel is the comparison
which he institutes between the figures fur
nished by the army of the metrop-
oils and by the army In Algeria. In 1911
the 10th Corps of the army of France had
400 cases of appendicitis. very nearly one
to every thousand of the effective-to be
precise O.95; while the 10th Corps in Al
geria and Tunis had bue 80 cases, or O.44
per thousand. twice less. In 1902 these
figures are larger; 619 cases in France, or
1.27 per thousand, and 40 in Algeria, or
O.63. The proportion is smaller in Algeria
than in France. and the difference, which
is from simple to double, remains exactly
the same in 1902 as in 1901.
These statistics not having been manu-
featured pour les beSoins de la cause, we
may consider the deductions exact, and ad-
nit that as a general rule appendicitis Is
more rare in Algeria than in France. Be-
sides. that Is the opinion of all the physi-
clans who practice in our African colony
And M. Chauvel cites the example of sur
geon in very active practice, of rather en-
terprising character, who, during sojourn
of five years at the civil and military hos
pital of Blida, found but a single occasion
for operating for appendicitis Unlucky
surgeon!
NJ. Crauvel pushed yet further his inqui-
ries. Our army in Africa includes Euro
peans and natives. Legionaries. soldiers of
the line and Turcos, are they equals before
appendicitis? Or Mohammed, does he
kindly extend his protection over the ap-
pendixes of his followers? In five years.
from 1898 to 1902, out of an effective of
1400O men we have among the French and
Europeans 1877 cases of appendicitis, or O.64
per thousand, while in the same space of
time out of an effective of 1900 natives
we find but thirteen cases, that is, O. IA per
thousand.
Arabs Immune.
BY this 1t appears that appendicitis is two
times less frequent among the French SOL
diers in Algeria than among the French Of
France. and 1t is ten times more rare
among the native Algerians. The difference
is much too great to be accidental. 1t
should have cause. What is It? Is it an
affair of race, of climate, of religion? M.
Chauvel thinks it is question of alimenta-
ton.
The Arabs are very sober; they eat little,
and are above all vegetarians; when they
do eat meat they eat 1t very much cooked
Accordingly, among the native tribes Lying
their ordinary life appendicitis is almost
unknown. If one observes it more fire.
quently among our auxiliaries, sharpshoot-
ers and spahis, it is because the regime of
the latter is no more the regime of the
Arab. but nearer to that of the French
trooper.
This explanation, perhaps, is not abso-
lutely satisfactory, inasmuch as it does not
tell us how and why this relative immunity
EXTENDS W Europeans tTdHSplanted 10 the
soil in Africa, where their alimentary reg
ime hardly differs from the regime of the
metropolis; but one may suspect that it has
much truth In 1t. Other observers have sig
.nalized this rarity Of appendicitis among
people less carnivorous than ours Dr.
Snyder, who for ten years past has been at
tached to the court of the Shah of Persia
has had to treat but five cases of this NAL
ady at Teheran, three of which were Euro
peans and only two Persians. DR.. Snyder
also attributes the rarity of appendicular
accidents to the mode of alimentation Of