Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-02-22
HE FUTURE OF THE APPENDIX
Fads in surgery, like fashions /.

aus III sui 6eIy, lihc ldoulOuS AZ
'ess. come and go The frequent
end al difference is that new sur
ai oPerat ons, IN ceasing to be
G become important and necss-
- ements in the preservation of
IL mas not been many years since
&c sceptica1 and facetious classed
JpeI dfcitis as a disease Of fashion
nd fancy. and the attendant opera
on luxury for the rich.
Some OF these same facetious and
,eptical persons have since. gone
ost haste to the operating table
hen their physicians told them.
18th a diseased appendix, 1t was a
use Of life or death.
The preservation of life as the
ne of this operation, reduced now
bass of sc enttic simplicity, So
. longer questioned or doubted.
The most recent surgical fad"
some will no doubt term it, has
do also with the appendix.
We have been led to believe that
( appendix vermiformis was
ole u1eles and va ueless attach
e7t han append x A CT appendix
n scma OF the books we. find IN
10 sleeves OF the Carnegie libra
- W. have been informed, or
isinformed-whieh, renal ms yet to
= deve oped-that the appendix
as the flag end of tail worn by
ie most antediluvian of our pre-
storic ancestors. We have tacitly
nd noncombatively accepted what
er explanat on OF its existence and
ses or ack OF them explorers into
ne realm Of evolution or kindred
heor e. have seen At to hand olt
Is hoping oAiy that the time
.l.d never come when the doctor
III q say, with an eye to business
the patients welfare. "It msst
cut out
Now once more all our ideas ON
ne subject Of the appendix, just as
were becom ng Ieconciled and
CO gned to them, are 10 be reyolu-
5n.zeu. Loldon surgeons an
iounce discoveries that the verm.-
orm appendix has uses which make
{ distinctly worth preserving. It
5 asserted that the appeal TX has an
important surgical value, but Just
Shat. dem tely, these uses are, ex-
cpt the statement Of Prof. Mechni-
OF that "the appendix IL useful In
taying of or postponing the desen-
racy Of old age" Is not yet made
pparent.
Still, the possible effect Of the APP
pendix in Dostpoalng old age is
enough TO start a serious line Of
thought; 1t makes US sit up and
axe notice"
Investigations along this line have
.lready led to the suggestion from
jr. 9. b. Keetley, OF the West L n
on hospital, and others that the
roper disposition OF the Appendix is
o transplant II the abdominal
Fall, thus rendering It immune to
.i5ease. but preserving Il for the
1nctions Which, according TO the
new theory, It ~ believed to DOS.
5sss.
Had your appendix transplant
'd?" vi probably soon take the
lace Of the query, Had it taken
ut did your"
II the abaeuce OF the appendix IL
D hasten the degeneracy OF old age.
ie will IN future 90 slow In having
cut out, that f., II It is a healthy
me. because, 50 far, amDutatson re-
lains the only knoSn remedy for
diseased vsTmiform.
But orders for transplantlng
eaithy appendices viii, no doubt.
e forthcoming IN abundance.
For y Will inquest onably, be
ONE time set, II the time ever
omes, before the science Of the ap-
endlx advances 70 that point which
VII eliminate the surgeons rather
han tho organ.--Atlanta Constltu-
Ion.