The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-06-25
AGED ARE IMMUNE

sons over so years hardly ever have
appendicitis. In 224 cases DR.. Haw-
kins. of ST. Thomas hospital. found.
for example, that less than one per
cent. OF them were over so years of
age. The reason that practically only
people below middle life have appen-
dicitis Is that the appendix itself
gradually degenerates with each year
OF a mans or woman's life.
When the age of so is reached the
appendix has in most cases ceased to
be sack. 1t is nothing but a string
OF whitish fibers. Since it is no longer
sac, small particles can no longer
get INTO 1t to infiame it and to cause
appendicitis But this useless string
OF white fibers can cause trouble Of
another kind. It remains in the abdo-
men, surrounded by connective tissue.
irritating and disturbing the nerve
filaments about Ii. This Irritation
travels back through the nerve fibers
TO the great nerve center behind the
stomach. which governs all the feel
ings and all the activities of the abb
dominal organs.
From the nerve center of the solar
plexus the irritation Is passed on
along other nerve filaments to the
stomach and other organs. Thus we
surgeons find that large percentage
OF cases Of dyspepsia and indiges-
tion-especially In middle-aged and
elderly people-are caused by nothing
except the influence of the fibrous re.
mains of the appendix. Because the
real trouble has its seat in one part
of the abdomen, while the actual pain
is felt in quite another part of the alb
domen. we call it a reflex disturb
ance.
AS all that the patient feels Is Just
a pain in some far-away point in the
system. We have considerable difficult
ty in diagnosing these reflex disturb.
ances. Often we operate for ulcer of
the stomach, as the cable describes.
and find that the stomach is perfectly
normal Then we have to make one
of those quick operating room right
about faces that we try to keep the
public and even the patient and the
patients friends from knowing about.
We follow along the whole digestional
tract and try to trace the trouble to
its seat. while the patient is still un-
der the anesthetic. We find the sup
posed ulcer to be nothing but the
white fiber string. which was once the
appendix, many more times than you
would think. About the only way to
tell what the trouble is is by process
of exclusion. We find that the stom- 4
ach and gall and liver are all right
and We reason that the trouble must
be somewhere else. An infinite deal
of trouble is caused. on the other
hand. by the public's trying first one
doctor and then another in the hepe
that each may be able to hit their
case with something simple.
"On the other hand, operations are
much less often performed in cases of
trouble caused by fibrous degenera-
ton OF the appendix than in cases of |
regular appendicitis. We find that in |
many cases of trouble caused by |
fibrous degeneration of the appendix
the nervous reflex In the other organs
tends to disappear with time, as tn.
fiber itself gradually be- |
comes obliterated. 1t also disappears
under medical and hygienic treatment |
aimed at the nervous indigestion. |
When We do operate it is not because
Of future danger. but to relieve pres
ent discomfort. Indeed. many pa |
tents become much better as soon as
hey find chat their pain is not due to
anything more than a nervous reflex,
ike the fancied pain in leg or arm
after the leg or arm has been taken
IT,"