Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-11
ABOUT APPENDICITIS
1t is Contagious But Has NJ
Specific Germ 1t Can Call
Its Own.

n.----r--------s
Appendicitis is germ disease, but,
unlike diphtherla, typhoid fever. and
measles. It has no specific germ OF It's
own. Almost any malignant mcrobe,
In fact. may cause II. When man
hns rheumatic fever, for example
some OF the stray germs OF that dis
ease may wander into his appendix
set up an inflammation, and kill him
Again. the same things may he done
by the germs OF typhoid fever, com.
mon bolls. or Influenza. The last.nam-
cd disease has been shown to be n
precursor Of appendicitis, and there Is
good reason to believe, rs has lecn
stated. that the recent cpidemics OF
Influenza have caused the parallel cp
idemics of trouble In the yerlform ap
pendiX.
Very often the disturbance that
these invading germs cause In the mp
pendix Is very slight. In such cases
nothing serious happens ana the pa.
ticnt commonly gets well again with.
out knowing that he was i'll. But at
other times the disturbance Is greater
ana last longer and the result Is ap
pcndicitis In ore OF its more familiar
forms.
Even when the number OF germs IN
the appendix Is enormous and the re
sultant inflammation and suppuraiior
have gone very far the germ-kIlling
leucocytes OF the blood keep up ter
rible battle with the invaders. In an
otherwise healthy man this battle Is
npt to be successful. but there Is al
ways the chance that the loucocytes
may lose and that the germs will
spread from the appendix to the alb
dominal cavity In general and there
by cause death by pcritonitis.
Therefore 1t is the custom OF ply.
sicians as soon as they are sure that
patient really has appendicitis to
hand him over to n surgeon to have
his germ-ridden appendix cut out.
When II Is cut out the germs In II go
with II. and II the wound heals prop.
erly-as 1t does In the vast majority
OF cases-the patient rocovers.
This fact explains the general ten
dency to operate In appendicitis. 1t
is always possible that the patient
Will recover without an operation, but
If the latter is performed In time his
changes are enormously increased.
II we put his risk of dying from the
disease itself Mt hundred we may
put his rlnsk of dying from the opcr-
alton Mt five. 1t is thus plain that In
the long run II Is wiscst to operate.
The symptoms OF appendicitis are
pretty we'll known to every one. The
disease usually and makes itself man,
ifest quite suddenly and the first sign
Is commonly u severe and sharp pain
in the abdomen, somewhat tos the
right of the center line. a moderate
fever accompanies this and other
slight symptoms, such as coated
tongue. loss Of appetite and vomiting
follows. The muscles OF the abdo.
men are drawn taut and pressure ov-
err the appendix causes cxcrucating
pain.
This is the general picture. In ad
dition there are n hundred and one
other indications. apparent only to n
physician. Bui those given suffice
for presumptive diagnosis. They may
appear and yet there may be no an.
pendicitis. but this Is decidedly unns-
ual In persons otherwise healthy.
Therefore. II You are seized by n
sudden and violent pain in tho right
side. somewhere In the vicinity of the
pVi', anu thlS Is tOllOWeu ny Snpnt
fever. tho customary symptoms OF n
sick stomach, 1t Is best to send for a
doctor at once. And IT, when this
doctor comes. he advises YOU to go
to n hospital for an operation, do so
without senseless protes.
or delay.
"In appendicitis" says DR.. Osler
the surgeon is often called too late.
but never too soon" Five minutes
delay may decide the issue between
life and death.
Twenty years ago the general pub.
lie held hospitals In horror and oper.
ating rooms in abomnation. but OF
late surgery has become so exact that
this old feeling is dying out. Going
to n hospital to have ones appendix
removed is 10y no means thing that
should cause one to break into the
cold perspiration Of terror. No prepa-
ration Is required. the time lost IL but
n few weeks. and the risk of dying
Is very small-lnflnItely smaller in.
deed. than the risk run by the man
who insists upon keeping his inflam-
cd appendix.