The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-30

suited In many deaths. There is no
way OF estimating Just how many
operations were successful but the
patients died from shock"-an expla-
nation which Is seriously accepted by
the public, but which all physicians
should know originated as q lest.
How About Consciencef
The point is that had the producer
OF the first story ascribing grape
seeds as the cause OF appendicitis
known that he was writing an un-
truth he should now have an accus-
ing conscience. It would be justi-
fable that he would spend some un-
pleasant hours wondering how many
people hypnotized themselves into the
belief that they required an opera
ton on the premises that they had
eaten grapes and that grape seeds
have q habit of hiding in vermiform
appendices.
However. the responsibility for the
appearance Of the first and subse-
quently all that followed, Of the grape
seed fakes, rests on the surgeon who
expressed his opinion to the news
writer. The surgeon may have been
convinced that he was right. All pro-
fessions sometimes follow false leads.
This surgeon may have found, on
opening the vermiform appendix. that
grape seed actually was the cause
Of Inflammation. He was justified in
announcing this fact. But he was not
doing right when be conveyed the i'm
preston that fruit seeds were the
common cause.
1t Is not merely that the grape in
dustry was injured or. indeed, suf-
fered a heavy blow for several years
following the prevalence of the ap-
pendicitis craze, but the habit OF re-
moving vermiform appendices became
so fixed that perfectly healthy people
underwent operations so that grape
seed could find no hiding places in
their interiors and thus cause trouble.
1t also became habit with surgeons
to snip out the vermiform appendix
OF every patient opened for other rea-
sons than appendicitis. The little duct
was ascribed as worthless because
the physicians could not determine its
worth. Now scientists are claiming
that 1t is the oil cup Of the human
system. Maybe within decade they
will discover that it has some other
functions. The best physicians and sur
geons will be the first to say that they
are only in the primer class when
compared with the wisdom. of nature.
Limited to Grapes.
The peculiar phase Of the grape
seed fake stories is that they limited
the blame for disease to grapes. They
did not proceed toward conclusion
by including the seeds Of all small
fruits. Neither did they include bris-
ties from tooth brushes. five of which
are found in vermiform appendices
to one of fruit seeds. 1t would have
been as justffiable for newspapers to
advise people to stop washing their
teeth, for fear Of swallowing bristles,
as to cease eating grapes.
Here. then, is apparent the need
Of careful thought in the preparation
OF articles or news items on ques-
tons of vital importance to the pub
lie. In the first place, scientific and
professional men should not make
broad statements, based only on spe-
cific incidents. They should appre-
ciate, moreover. the effect of their
statements when published broad
cast. The public looks to and be-
lieves men Of learning.
The necessity for an interviewer to
first study his subject so that he can
ask proper questions and properly
appraise the logical effect of con-
templated article grows with each
day. He should not be content with
one assertion when there Is posi-
bility of his subject being of vital In
terest to a community or to the whole
public. An assertion does not make
thing true.
Sunday Editors Error.
The Sunday editor of New York
paper who seized and used the idea
contained in the news item with re-
gard to grape seeds made serious
break by failing to Thoroughly inves-
tigate his subject. Had he done so
he would have learned that, while it
is true that grape seeds have some-
times caused attacks Of appendicitis,
yet bread crumbs and many other par
tjcles Of food which got switched in
the wrong direction. were similarly
faulty. How then is It possible to
differentiate? Why. through failure
to think ahead. produce boycott on
the grape industry? Why brighten
people so that they will give up eat
ing luscious fruit?
Why. II suggestion holds power.
cause people to imagine they are sick,
and thus produce at least mental suf-
fering, through dire apprehensions.
1t is reasonable to expect that. had
the surgeon and the writer Of the
grape seed fake article placed thought
between impulse and action, grape
seeds would not constitute an appen-
dicitis bugaboo, today. Which brings