Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-18

/ Home Health
Club
.-. La Porte, Ind.
=
APPENDICITIS.

~ APPENDICITIS.
Some. weeks ago I gave a+lecture on
the subject of home treatment for; ap-
pendlcitis and the last sentence of the
lecture was Don't be in hurry to
nave an operation" l intended to
write the present lecture for the. fol-
lowing week. but as l was not then
In possession of such positive personal
experience as I am at the present
Time have waited. After finishing
that lecture I went home and sent for
a surgeon, whom T knew to be the
most skillful that could be had in an
operation, or for diagnosis. / told
MN that wished him to very careful
~ examine me for appendicitis; he
DID so, and then looked at me In as
constituent saying, why, doctor, you
nave appendicitis and 1t seems to have
been troubling you for long time.
Why did you not come to me sooner?"
replied that I had known for a num-,
Der of months that I had appendicitis
and that l was treating it according to
my own methods, and had done a full
days work with the exception of one
day when I had called him to my
house for relief in what he supposed
an acute attack of collie. then asked
him what he advised me to do. He
replied that it would not be necessary
TOT him to advise me as knew we'll
enough what to do without asking him
MS opinion, and that it was a fact
that could continue to take care of
myself and on account of my correct
habits I might live many years and
never have another attack. On the
other hand, If should at any time Sc
verely overtax my strength, become
trif1e constipated and catch cold,
combination which frequently follow
each other, I might pass away in a
few hours. All of this I knew to be a
fact. also knew that was working
far beyond what any man ought to do.
felt 1t was not right for me to long
er take the risk because honestly be-
l1eved that my readers have need of
me, therefore, told him to make prep
aratlons to remove the appendix on
Friday. I selected the assistant sur
geon for him. also physician for
giving the anaesthetic, then on Thurs
day started to walk to the sanatorium
! However, a neighbor overlook me
about half way out and rode the bal
! ance of the way, went through the op-
Grafton on the next day at noon. On
| the Tuesday after shaved myself in
bed, on the fourth day dictated about
20 letters to various people who had
| written me. The rest of the letters
were answered by my able assistants,
50 that if any of you felt that yau
We're sighted during the first ten days,
I know you will not feel hard toward
me. am still on my back at the hos
pftal and although I feel like. I could
get up and walk a mile or two, the
surgeon forbids it until at least ten
days, which will be Monday.
A careful examination OF the ap-
pendix after it's removal caused the
three physicians to open wide their
eyes In establishment at what I had
been able to accomplish. It showed
evidence of having caused me great
suffering over a period of several
years; It also showed that nature
cares for her subjects when they obey
her laws, and they were frank to say
that If were dissipated man or free
user of tobacco, tea or coffee or in
temperate in eating or in fact commit
ted any Incorporate excuses, would
probably have been dead long ago. I
know that all of you will agree with
me that it pays to obey natures laws.
Here is a most excellent demonstra-
ton. The physician in charge said l
took the anaesthetic like a healthy
baby, was asleep almost instantly, and
there was no unfavorab1e symptoms
at. any time. My temperature did not
raise over one degree and my pulse
has not at any time exceeded 80. I
was in perfect condition for the opera
ton, therefore there was practically
no danger.
have gone into detail in this per-
sonal matter because know that you
all take a deep personal interest in me
and that many of you have taken my
advice in very critical cases because
you believed that what told you was
my honest, candid opinion. followed
my own advice, was in no hurry to
have an operation performed, but
waited until knew that l was in a
perfect condition for it. A serious
question with most people is-Shall
or shall not have an operation?
answer you as before. do not be in a
hurry to have an operation, but if you
have had one attack of appendicitis
and have recovered you should then go
through careful course of dieting and
living, the same as did, putting my
self in perfect condition for the opera
ton. In this way you will avoid the
danger of an acute attack and you
avoid the danger, which is very great,
Of a second attack of appendicitis.
There are many details In regard to
the home treatment and care of one
self in such cases which would re-
quire too much space for me to give
here. would be glad to advise any Of
my readers in regard to these "details
| If they write me careful* description
Of their cases.
might say also that many people
are in error in supposing that they
have appendicitis when they have not.
while others suffer severely with it
without knowing it.
CLUB NOTES.
Minnesota.-pr. David H. Reeder
Laporte, Indiana. Dear Doctor I
have read so much of your good ad-