New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-28
CAUSE OF APPENDICITIS
EngliShman's Preserved Food
Theory Secuted Here.
SURGEONS VOICE SURPRISE
New York Specialists Do Not
Agree with Statement About
Effect of Cold Storage.

The statement of DR.. F. Tanner. an
English physician. to the Farnham Rural
District Council that the increase of ap-
pendicitis throughout England was greatly
due to preservatives in food aroused
varying degrees of surprise among New
York physicians who were seen last even
ing. DR.. Tanner said:
1.-The increa Sc. general all over England
I believe. is greatly due 10 preservatives in
food. Not that preservatives themselves do
harm, but the presence Of deconposed food
which they disguise, does. I have attended
thirty cases this year held TO be due TO
this cause
DR.. John F. Erdmann. who is a specialist
In appendicitis cases. when asked for his
opinion last evening said:
THE causes of appendicitis are numer-
Gus; do not think il is due to the presence
of decomposed food alone. We find appen-
dicitis in nursing babies, and the theory
would not explain these cases. Mothers
with breast milk can scarcely be accused
OF giving their children a cold storage
product. Furthermore, we find pins, bits
of lead pencil and many other objects in
the appendix. l think 1t has not yet been
determined what is the cause of appendi-
citis.''
Another distinguished specialist, who did
not wish to be quoted, said:
There has been q great increase in the
number of cases recently. Our knowledge
Of appendicitis has been coincident with
the history OF cold storage. I don't mean
that cold storage causes appendicitis, but
anything that contributes to indigestion
may help TO bring about appendicitis
I'VE know" said another physician who
has operated on many patients for appen-
dicitis. that irritation of the intestinal
canal from fermentation in the canal pre-
disposes TO inflammation of the appendix.
This irritation is often caused by improper
digestion OF food. but may result from other
causes If the end of the appendix where
it communicates with the intestine is open.
foreign particles and the contents Of the
intestinal canal probably do filter in and
out of the appendix without doing harm, but
If the end Of the appendix becomes closed
and inflammation sets in, appendicitis re-
suits.
The use of preservatives in food" he
continued lis probably a bad thing for
us because preservatives enable men to
made undesirable food marketable, as Dr.
Wiley has demonstrated. But boric acid
and salicync acid are good intestinal dis
infectants.
we are not sure what is the cause OF
appendicitis. When a grape seed was
first found in an appendix, it was said
that a seed was the cause; but when that
grape seed was cut open it was found TO
be- not a seed but a concretion- Then
every one was surprised when athletes
had the disease. Now anybody has 1t. L
think DR. Tanner got a collection OF cases
and is riding a hobby.
Another eminent specialist, whose opinion
IS regarded highly by the medical profess
sion. said that the theory was interesting
but not tenable."
We have had cases OF appendicitis he
added. where there was no decomposed
food present and none had been eaten. We
believe that appendicitis is due to germ
and we hope to find it. as we hope 10 find
the cause of cancer. II We do, the mystery
Will be solved