Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-29
WI yHEN Lord Lister promulgated the
" doctrine OF aseptic and antisep-
" tic surgery he achieved boon


This great apostle Of clearly methods
inadvertently paved the way for the sur
gical adventurer, ana made II easy
for ignorance TO cloak itself IN the
garb of science In bringing to human
itv a great blessing he unintentonallE
pointed out a smooth sailing course for the
surgical pirate and buccaneer. As great
as is the blessing to the warih OF modern
surgery the Iamentable fact remains thaL
much suffering and unhappiness have
been brought to countless thousands by us
too promiscuous application.
Reduction of the dangers attending cut
ting operations upon the internal organs
Of the body, by reason OF more cleaniy
methods has not only emDOidened the IN
competent in many instances TO attempt
those things which were beyond theT
ability to accomplish, but the everready
knife has been generally adopted as the
emblem of less effort and quicker re-
suits" Modern medicine has adopted as
automatic that 10 successfully combat dis
ease We must remove the cause. The mis-
application of this doctrine has resulted
too often in surgical interference where
surgery should not have been employed
Instead of exhaustive investigation OF the
disease at hand. and the conscientious APP
plicatiOn Of rational treatment, doctors
have been prone to take the short cut and
remove-not the cause alone. but the dis
ease the affected organ and all
Because il was comparatively easy TO do
SO thousands upon thousands of tOnsls
have been necessarily torn from the
threats of our children. Rather than
adopt the more tedious course of medical
treatment. numberless young women and
girls afflicted with purely functional dis
turbances peculiar TO their sex, have
without necessity, been hied to the Operat-
ing room and forever uusexed by the at
tending surgeon. Because Of ignorance OF
its function and lack of patience with
complaining appendix, an appalling legion
of these attachments are brutally massa-
cred annually in an enlightened twentieth
century!
Instead of resOrtng TO surgical skill
only after more conservative methods have
proven unwilling. the regrettable ten
dcncy is to the use of the knife as first
aid. because forsOoth, il is quick and con-
vpnient The so-called exploratory Oper,
alton" is commonplace in surgical prac-
tise. The disposition is to cut first and
diagnose the case circumference all
detachable parts on the theory that II not
diseased they are at least useless-and
then we feel that we have rendered
great service TO our patient!
During my early years of study OF APP
pendiCitis ] was imbued with the belief
that a goodly number of victims Of this
disease actually required operative treat
ment. | felt that my effort to find an
efficient medical treatment for the dis
ease must of necessity avail in only
certain per cent OF cases. / heard sur
geons sagaciousy eXpOund the dangers Of
"abscess',' and rupture OF the append
-itaI abscess," and how the appendix
should be removed instanter in order 10
guard against these awful angers TO the
life of the patient But fifteen years CN-
perienCe with hundreds Of cases I'm every
walk of life. and in every imaginable
stage of the disease has almost completely
reversed my former belief In this regard,
and ! now view the removal Of the appcn-
dix as absolutely unjustidable in any but
the rarest instances.
] ask the reader to consider for mo
ment that in the years this treatment has
been administered IN appendicitis in thou
sands of cases ] can point &c numberless
successes with the most serious type OF
the disease, while not one single death has
vet been reported TO me OF any patient
who has at any time taken this treatment.
I desire 10 impress this fact upon my
readers attention. in view of what | shall
say 70 follow. The argument OF the
'sbursted" appendix which the surgeon
holds up in horror to the sufferer as rea-
son for excelsior of all diseased appen-
dixes is most shallow. The ruptured ap-
pendixes which I have seen We're, with
out exception, the result of rough handling
BY the operating surgeon. Nature rarelg
r1ptures an inflamed appendix. and when
she does il is in natural and benehcent
way, nameiy into the large bowel thus
allowing ample drainage and rapid
spontaneous cure.
Again surgery justiies its assault on
the appendix on the assumption that IL Is
a rudimentary organ and without iuut
ton and therefore its removal may be-
accomplished without physical impair
ment even where il Is found ~ AC in a
perfectly healthy condition. This su-
restiOu opens the way Tor au almost e1u-
less discussion, since. i'm truth. positive
facts as to the functions OF The appendix
have not up 10 this time been obtained.
This much IS certain, the appendix is q
very live and active intestinal attachment
situated at an extremely important point
in the internal mechanism of man. and OF
some undoubted use in the human econ
omy.
Nature is generous. but never eXtraya-
giant. Man vas not created with a super
fluffy OF anything. There are no idle
wheels" in the clOc6wOrh of our anatomy.
There is however. much about the uhysi-
ologv Of our bodies that wa do not thor.
oughIy understand and probably never
shall completely understand. The pituitary
body IN the brain. the thyroid gland and
the appendix are riddles that have not at
admitted Of complete solution We SNOW
that disturbance OF The pituitary body
produces severe uufDUarG effects. it.
.aoyaI OF me thyroid gland causes a weak
-uiug OF mental function au. ul...r.n.
bordering on ldjorr. Removal OBJ. The a'
reu1iE iS much less violent .H '-. ....
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