Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-29

During the years Of my life which !
have devoted to the study of this disease
more than any other, | have treated pa
tients in practically every State in tht
Union, and a number from beyond thu
seas | will not dwell further on how
successful this system has been in m.
hands and in the hands of other physl
clans who have administered it. Unit
recently it had been my ambition to a.
some time see established two hospitals
for the treatment of appendicitis solely
by this system of treatment one in m!
home city of Huntington, Ind, and tho
other at some desirable point in the East
In such institutions much exact data could
be collected with expediency that is prac
tically impossible under present condi
tions. Poor health, however, so long de
layed these plans that | have abandoned
them, and in order that my work may dc
good to the greatest possible number,
will give the profession, without reservG.
ton, my complete system, and in so doing
will make clear in so far as possible my
reasons for each step taken in admins
tering to the appendicitis victim.
To begin, the relief of appendicitis
means the relief of its cause must be
made. With this in view. the membrane
lining the intestine and the appendix must
be directly treated. The catarrh Of the
bowel must be directly treated. To effect
this the medicine must come in direct
contact with the diseased bowel tissue.
All medicines must, of course, pass
through the stomach and about thirty feet
of intestine to reach the vicinity of the
appendix In this long route many medi.
cines, like food. are disintegrated and
changed chemically into other products.
The arsenite of copper is an antiseptc
astringent and especially healing to the
glands of the bowel /, will reach the
appendix without chemical change ana
will act as an Alternative to the diseased
membrane. | have found no other drug
equally efficient for this purpose. With
il. augmented by other remedies, We re-
lieye the appendicitis The arsenite OF
copper is a poison and must be used in
minute doses, however. Free drainage
and correction of the stagnation at the
neighbOrhOod of the appendix is essen
tial. For this reason ] add extract OF
cascara sagrada, a tonic laxative, and this
in turn is assisted in its action by extract
OF rhubarb. an efficient laxative and in
testinal astringent. Patients with appen-
dcitis are usually in a debilitated cOndi'
ton as regards their digestive powers,
the glands being sluggish and inactive.
The arsenate of stTychnine in small doses
accomplshes beneficent results in over
coming this condition. I'm the intiamed
and Initiative bowel a condition OF spas
modic sensitiyeness soon develops. TO
overcome this feature and to alay the
general nervous condition resulting from
the continuation of the disease, / have
found no remedy more efficacous and yet
so harmless as the old and favOrably
known asafetida. In combination with
the other ingredients it is easily taken
and well borne by the patient and is
seemingly unusually well suited TO us
purpose in these cases. Finally as
base for this combination and because OF
its prOclivity for absorbing intestinal poi
sons and gases, both of which are espe-
cially annoying in appendicitis, pulyerizel
charcoal is added to the list.
This prescription of six ingredients is
the substance of the internal treatment
used in combating appendicitis. To this
is added, Of course. a general hygiene
regime. The diet is necessarily an i'm
portant factor. During the acute stage
the sO-called starvation treatment" is IN
dictated. That is. the patient should be
allowed nothing but broths and the light
est Of liquid diet until subsistence Of tho
fever. extreme pain. swelling, etc Dur
ing all the time the treatment is admin
istered the diet should be restricted 10
food that is easily digestible, and fried
foods. pastries. salt meats, etc. excluded.
In patients anaemic from continued III
ness and in those by nature thin blood
ed iron in some form that is readily IS
simulated should be given.
The success of the treatment most Ger
tainly. like the treatment of all Otne-
deep-seated diseases. is dependent upon
the intelligence with which il is admins
tered and the scrupulous attention to the
living regime.
In concluding. I wish TO state that ms
treatment must Of necessity be modIIeo
TO suit the requirements of each case
treated. 1t would most assuredly be folly
to attempt to treat the infant and the
adult, the plethOric and the bed-rldden'
from the same formula
The proportion of the several ingredi-
ents should therefore be changed to meet
the indications of the case at hand. From
four to six weeks are required to efec-
results In a few instances il IS netes-
sary to pursue treatment even somewhat
beyond that time II has been my custom
to insist upon my patients taking the
internal medicine the maximum OF SIN
weeks. and TO follow the hygienic regime
even beyond that time This treatment
may be administered to patients OF any
age from infancy to the most venerable
and IL is indicated in any and all stages
of the disease. When carefully admin
tered it can do no possible harm. while II
has tC its credit the record OF many hLa
dreds Of cases in all degrees Of seFeF.I