Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-18
APPENDICITIS.
This Dreaded Disease II Primarily Due
to 1ndisestion-1t Knows No Age
90 or Rank.

The recent Huxley lecture, delivered by
Sir William Macewen has orce again
raised the oft-rccurring question 30 pain
full 10 the public: why is appendicitis
so common at the present time?" This
affiiction spares neither age nor sex. and
1t is equally dreaded in palace and cot
tage. The king has been found among
the victims nor has 1t neglected the
pitiable vagrant on the embankment
An infant of seven weeks has recently
succumbed TO the baneful infammatory
process, while a medical baronet long
past the allotted span of threescore and
ten has happily fought a successful tight
against appendicitis. The idle girl. with
out definite employment. suecunbs. as
also does the soldier on active service.
The schoolboy is particularly prone. and
the affection does not ignore the high
dignitary Of the church. Can 1t be that
the small blind tube placed within the
abdomen has suddenly become vulner-
able to assault. or is it that there Is some
peculiarly potent force now at work
which did not formerly exist? 1s It not
to be denied that more accurate dag
nosis has led to an apparent increase in
the number Of cases Of the complaint.
Peritonitis, or inflammation Of the lining
been common and dreaded malady.
but the precise cause of the infiamIna-
ton has frequently been entirely over
looked in the past, and to-day il IL the
opinion OF most medical practitioners
that considerably more than one-half Of
the cases of peritonitis are primarily at
tributable to an Inflammation of the
vcrmform appendix. 1t is such an
everyday occurrence that VIC almost
wonder not why our closest friend has
been struck down, but when our turn
may come.
I. may not he. therefore. altogether
without interest to review some OF the
known causes OF appendicitis, and see
how they may be avoided. Although
this Is strictly a professional subject. yet
to be forewarned is to mo fOrearmed, and
this must be the excuse for discussing
1t. Some people would still seem to
cherish the idea that fruit stones and
pips OF all sizes. from the cherry stone
to the small apple pip. arc liable to enter
the cavity of the appendix and there
| cause dire havoc. AS regards the cherry
stone this is pure fiction. and the sooner
it is disposed of the better. When the
reader realizes that the entrance Of the
tube, which has a larger diameter than
| any other part will hardly admit In the
normal state tho top Of an uncut cedar
pencil il will readily be seen that even
| n moderate sized cherry stone would
| have some difficulty in passing in. That
smaller foreign bodies may gain access
to the interior of the tube is nndoubted-
~ true. but the number of Instances in
which such nave actually been MS
covered within the diseased appendix
is comparatively small. single duck
shot. small fragment of solder from
a canned meat tin bristle from a tooth
| brush. a spiculc from the lining of an
enamelcd saucepan and an ordinary pin
have all been known to find their way
into the interior of the appendix, and
once there such bodies may undoubted-
~ induce Inflammation in the matter
| subsequently described While. then
admitting that in a few cases extrane-
Gus matters of the character and size
mentioned may play some part in the
incidence of appendicitis. We must seek
a more common cause for the frequency
of the affection.
The human body is constantly harbor.
ing micro organis which are ever
ready 70 attack the tissues, and are es
pecially capable of doing 50 whenever
the person is below par. or the particular
tissue with which they are in contact
has suffered some injury. These micro
organisms. styles bacteria. are constant
~ taken in with food. and more par
ticuarly so in towns. Being thus per
petually reinforced. they are continual
~ multiplying. and able to attack an.
undefended point. There is. perhaps
nothing which SO tends To assist theil
multiplication and to increase theil
virulence as hurried and irregular meals
involving the retention of inperfectly
digested food. Then it is that thes'
microscopical organisms will crowd int
what may he called the hack-water o
the appendix. here to stagnate and e
develop powerful poison. which. actnl
upon the walls of the tube. soon pro
drces inflammation, which is evidenced
by pain and all the train of symptoms
incident to appendicitis. Take a day il
the life OF the ordinary city man. who
having risen somewhat later than usual
finds it necessary to hurry his break
fast, perhaps even to run part OF tn
way TO the station in order to catci
the train, which will enable him to keel
an important appointment. He is bus.
throughout tho morning. and finds tina
10 go tuTOuEu MS WoTh anu cIlduIt Mn
TO leave his Office at respectable hou
in the afternoon luncheon must be
scramble, though he is unwilling t.
forego his usual full complement OF di
verse food. On reaching home he is too
tired to enjoy a healthy exercise, an,
a third meal, I. O., dinner, follows upoI
the two previous badly digested meal
he has already taken, with the result
that the inevitable consequences follow
He may keep up this unwholesome rusl
for a while but before long he will fee
the necessity for a holiday. on he Roe
and perhaps opens the ball with a tougl
round of golf, or possibly series of har,
sets at lawn tennis. or maybe even
days sCulling. Then he is suddenly at
tackled with appendicitis and placed il
! considerable danger.
The moral is to eat ones meals de
liberately. leaving time for the con,
mencement of the process of digestio
before imposing undue strain on tn
muscles by rushing to the station. or tn
mental faculties by any intellectu va
effort such as a smart financial transac
ton.