Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-10
Abdominal
Pains Need
Varied Care
Both Acute and Chronic
Cases Quite Different
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING
DAM in the abdomen is one
Il OF the commonest OF all
symptoms and is due to a great
variety OF causes.
Acute abdominal pain IL
somewhat different thing than
a chronic pain. Acute pain that
arrives in the midst OF good
health demands serious con-
sideration, but was discussed
yesterday under the head of
the acute abdomen.
Today i wish TO discuss
chronic abdominal pain which
is not too severe and which
recurs day after day.
To show how varied the
causes Of this symptom are. l
saw patient not long ago who
had a constant dull pain all over
his abdomen.
There was very little else
that he complained of and very
little else that could be found
on him.
THE cause turned out 10 be
i poisoning. which is a fairly
rare disease nowadays.
II was found that his occupa-
tion was the peculiar one of
inserting lead Innings into cas-
kets.
A distinguished Philadelphia
physician once wrote a paper
called The West Indies Dry
Gripes," and dry gripes is a very
expressive term for the abdomi-
nal pain OF lead poisoning.
II is dry because il il not
accompanied by a diarrhea, but
by constipation.
Another often unrecognized
cause OF abdominal pain is a
curvature of the spine which
causes pressure on the nerves
that go out under the skin and
are distributed 10 the abdominal
region.
The diagnostician who. hear
ing the symptoms OF abdominal
pain, confines his attention 10
the abdomen and does not ex-
anime the back, often loses out
on these cases.
SUPPOSE he commonest
L cause of abdominal pain, and
one which leads 10 innumerable
unnecessary operations is simply
emotional imbalance.
The person who is chronically
dissatisfied with life is known
as a belly acher" and quite
often these people actually have
a belly ache which they do not
realize is due TO their dissatis-
faction and maladjustment TO
life.
or course there are MANY
tangible causes Of chronic abdo-
mlnal pain in the abdomen it.
self.
Peptic ulcer OF the stomach
or duodenum causes abdominal
discomfort. so does gall stones,
also gall bladder disease.
The treatment of chronic alb
domlnal pain depends upon the
cause. as can readily be seen.
and 10 determine this cause
requires a considerable amount
OF diagnostic skill but in the
present day we have many aids
and means for this diagnosis.
Such a patient is usually SUBJ
1ected 10 a routine examination
with the help OF all laboratory
technics and consultants.
AN EXAMINATION OF the
n blood will disclose imme-
diately the presence of lead
poisoning, which solved the case
/ mentioned above.
The X-ray. OF course, is A
highly important feature of the
examination.
Examination by stomach spe-
cialists. rectal specialists and
gynecologists all may he neces-
sary TO help unravel an obscure
case.
In treatment. too. we are
pretty well fixed to handle these
cases.
The orthopedic surgeon may
be called in 10 treat the spine
condition and thus serve as a
specialist on the abdomen.
one Of the curses OF our
modern situation is the readi.
ness with which these patients
are sometimes operated on with.
out careful consideration OF ex-
actly what is the matter.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
NJ. A. l.: What causes dizzi-
ness when one lies down or
When raising the head OF turn \
ing the head or eyes quickly?
Answer: Dizziness of this sort
IS que either to changes in the
arteries Of the brain or changes
IN the equilibrium apparatus of
me internal ear. II is possibly .
due to focal infection from bad
teeth or tonsils. Your doctor
could work out the cause for
you.
I. y: Will a young baby boy
rupture If he cries too much or I
IL you let him cry too long?
Answer: This is a possibility.
although a very slight one. II il
is possible TO stop a baby from
CRYING. II is better TO do so.