The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-10-20
GALL-BLADDER TROUBLE YER
Sis RELLYACHE

The SO-called intelligent reader,
who is usually quite ignorant of ele-
mentary anatomy and physiology, not
to mention hygiene or pathology, will
not understand the precise scientific
significance of the term bellyache
The stupid reader will regard the
term as indecorous. So portion OF
our limited space must be used to
enlighten all and sundry.
The word belly is the only English
word we have to signify the anterior
abdominal wall 1t is not synonymous
with abdomen, which means the great
body cavity. Nor is 1t synonymous
with stomach.
1t is correct to say bellyache or pain
in the belly. 1t is incorrect to say
pain in the abdomen, stomachache
or pain in the liver or gall-bladder
or other abdominal or thoracic organ.
No one can have pain in the heart or
in the lungs. There are no sensory
nerves in any of these internal or
gans, and therefore there can be no
pain sense. All the painful sensa-
tons produced by inflammation or
other abnormal conditions in the in
ternal organs are actually felt in the
wall of abdomen or thorax, which
has spinal sensory nerves. All the
nerve control of internal organs is
by the sympathetic or autonomic sys-
tenn, which is independent OF the Will
or consciousness.
I never think of this lack Of organ
consciousness or control without
thinking what great blessing it is
to mankind, particularly civilized and
educated mankind. We'd make a
frightful mess of things if We had or
gan consciousness or will power over
our internal organs.
Pain felt in the region Of the right
shoulderblade has always been asso-
ciated with liver trouble, and now
adays more specifically with gall
bladder inflammation (cholecystitis)
and gallstones. The spinal Sensory
nerves supplying that area of the
chest wall are called intercoStal nerves
because they lie between the RIBS !,
close to the spine they connect with
the ganglia or substations Of the
sympathetic nervous system. It Is
thru these connecting fibers that i'm
pulses from the internal organ are
reflected or switched over to the
spinal sensory nerve and so becon.
painful sensations
Intercostal neuralgia in any portion
of the body wall may deceive the pa
tient and even the physician into the
belief that there is serious disease OF
an internal organ. Many a sufferer
from left thoracic intercostal neuralgia
believes herself sometimes it may be
HIMSELF a victim of heart disease.
Not a few hurry-up operations for
appendicitis" have been advised or
actually done. when in fact the
trouble was right intercostal neuralgia
or perhaps neuritis. as evidenced by
the appearance of herpes zoster afte!
several hours of acute pain. Some
good diagnosticians assure us that
many gall-bladders are removed in
the futile attempt to cure intercosta
neuralgia felt either under the RICH:
shoulderblade or in the region OF the
right lower ribs.
A physician with true diagnostic
acumen can apply some simple tests
in any case which will pretty def
nitely distinguish such neuralgia Of
neuritis from actual trouble in the or.
gan in question. I am not describing
these tests here because they are none
of the layman's business. The thine
the layman should know Is that no.
all bellyache is what 1t seems to be.