Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-04-06
PAPER ON APPENDICITIS"
Or. George r. Anderson Heard by the
6rattleboro Professional club-Methods
of Treatment,

Of Treatment.
The April meeting of the Brattleboro
Professional club was held in the Brooks
House Monday evening, an unusually
large number being present. The sub
ject of the meeting was Appendicitis"
a subject in which there Is general in
terest and an excellent paper was given
by Dr. George r. Anderson, one of the
surgeons of the Brattleboro Memorial
hospital, of which the following is a brief
summary:
Appendicitis is a disease of the 10Th
century. 1t was first recognized as a
primary disease in 1924, and It was 60
years later before 1t was clearly under
stood, that different abdominal disorders
might be referred to common origin,
viz. a diseased appendix. According to
Howard Kelley, in his excellent work
on appendicitis. the first recorded case of
appendicitis Is that of Mestevier, reported
In 1853, in which a rusty pin was found
enclosed in the appendix, at the autopsy.
During the 10Th century much has been
done by German French and English
investigators, but to Reginald Fitz of
Boston, a member of the Brattleboro
Memorial hospital consulting staff, belongs
the credit of having done more than any
other individual to bring about a right
understanding Of the morbid conditions
affecting the appendix. And 1t was DR.
Fitz who coined the word appendicitis. a"
DR.. Anderson exhibited charts showing
the location of the appendix also the
point where the incision is made for its
removal As to its function, he said It
had no known function, but he believed
one would be discovered eventually. He
showed that a diseased appendix might
cause pain in any part of the abdomen.
1.-THE disease is not more frequently
met with now than heretofore, but with
modern methods and means at hand we
are able to make diagnoses which were
impossible 80 years ago. At that period
cases presenting all the symptoms Of a
typical appendix trouble were diagnosed
as Inflammation of the bowels"
The paper said that Inflammation Of
the appendix is due to bacterial infec-
ton. The opening between the cavity
of the appendix and the intestine becomes
INSTRUCTED and II the obstruction sub
sides and the mucous and bacterial con-
tents of the appendix escape into the in
testine the Inflammation subsidies. as the
cause has been removed, and the patient
convalesces. II the obstruction Is COM
plete and the Inflammation continues the
mucous becomes pus. 1t is possible for
this pus to be absorbed. but it rarely is.
1t is rarely that appendicitis is caused
by foreign bodies, like seeds, pins, stones,
etc, in the appendix.
AS to the method OF treatment Dr. An
derson said that he thought surgical OPP
eTallOn SnOulO De maze as soon as n dag
nosis of appendicitis is made The mortali-
ty from surgical operations, in cases taken
in time is practically nothing, perhaps from
one-half to one per cent. Many cases re-
cover without operation. but usually other
attacks follow. The operation for appen-
dicitis may be comparatively simple, or.
in least suspected cases, may prove most
difficult and test to the utmost the skill
and ingenuity Of the surgeon. All sorts
of conditions may arise and complicate
the disease, and the patients recovery
may rest upon the ability of the surgeon.
The mortality from operations often is
due to the lack of proper surgical training
and experience on the part OF the opera
tor. 1t requires years of study and hos
pital work and knowledge of all the
small details of the operating ROOM and
the technique of operations must be
mastered before proper efficiency is at
tanned.
DR.. Henry Tucker led the discussion,
taking the view that operations. as
rule, were unnecessary. He reported the
small number of operations at the Clare
mont hospital in support of his conten-
ton, the record for a year being two.
In rebuttal 1t was shown that of the oper-
ations at the Brattleboro Memorial hos
pital the past year 26 were chronic cases.
Many of those present took part in the
discussion.