The Washington times., 1922-07-16
. OR ages past poets have rhap-
sodized over the manifold

sodized over the manifold
Il moods and lenses Of the hu-
man heart. while both soothsayers
and chanting warriors laid heaviest
stress upon the varying colors Of
the liver. ..eE' e.. s''' 4
OF late It 10 the ductless glands
at whose shrine we must worship
as the potent arbiters Of human
destiny!
One by one an the chief ooss Of
the body machine have been res
cued from obscurity and given
their rishtful honor save one. the
peritoneurn.
Though its ramifications and
widespread interests might make
an oid-styis trust turn green with
envy. It is 30 efficient and we'll be-
haved that we may go through
life without even knowing that
we have one!
Happy Is the organ that has no
history. As 10 too often the case,
II it behaves perfectly. We never
hear about II. Indeed, almost the
only way in which It gets into the
limelight 10 when dragged In by ap-
pendicitis or typhoid.
LIKE PINK TOY BALLOON.
What is II, and wheref
The psritoneuni II rather difficult
to describe: but It can, perhaps,
best be imagined as q very large
pink toy balloon that has been fiat
tened out and tucked in between
the front. or muscular wall Of the
abdomen in front. and the stom.
ach and intestines behind. 20 as
to coat both with smooth. silky.
frictionless layer.
Or as o very thin ana smooth
walled hot-water bag tucked in be.
tween the bowels and abdominal
walls. Its bag. or cavity. Il of
great size and It reaches from the
diaphragm and liver above to the
bladder and pelvis below and right
across the body from flank to
flank.
Ordinarily the balloon Is almost
completely deflated. containing
only q few teaspoonfuls Of lubri-
eating fluid, but when the latter
increases to several pints or even
gallons the result 10 that most
distressing condition known as
dropsy.
The rear. or intestinal. wall of
the bag, Grizzlies tp and ont be-,
! tween the coils Of the fntestines
90 that they glide smoothly over
each other. This gives all intes-
tines, bird or animal. their glis-
tening appearance when the abdo-
men IL opened. The function Of
the peritoneum In, In fact. to fur
nish ball-bearings for the boiler
or bowel parts Of the human ma,
chinery.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.
You can get a general idea Of
its use and effect by laying q large.
thin. very soft hot-water bag over
the back Of your hand and press
ing Il down between the fingers.
You can then move them up and
down gently with great smooth.
ness and without their rubbing
against each other.
But II the smallest amount Of
= boiling water is poured into the
bag, every finger will instantly be.
gin to tingie and burn as II It had
been personally dipped into the
scalding fluid.
This is precisely what happens
with any infectious trouble in the
peritoneum. No matter at what
point II first breaks in, II spreads
in all directions like a prairie fire.
This is why a severe attack Of
peritonitis instantly hurls the vic
tim into utter collapse. some times
followed by death within twenty
four hours.
Tho peritoneum being such a
shut In and almost completely
closed cavity. the only way in
fecuon can reach It Is by an In
flammation leaking through. or
perforatins through. from the 9TH
er organs. as in appendicitis. ty-
phoid. or child birth fever, or by
stab wounds or sunshot wounds Of
the abdomen.
Whenever these last pierce tn
intestine they pass through two
layers Of the peritoneum. both
folds Of the "hot.water bag"
ANCIENT DIAGNOSIS.
Such a terrific onslaught as
general peritonitis naturally
makes striking changes in the ap-
pearance Of the sufferer; SO strik-
ing in fact. that they were noted
and wildly described by the IA
nous Greek physician Hippo
crates: "a sharp nose, hollow
eyes, collapsed temples, the ears
cold, contracted. their lobes turned
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