The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-04-09


vomiting. They may not all be
present, but usually combination
Of three or four Of these will be
present, 1t is highly important for
the surgeon TO make a diagnosis
before shock and prostration in
terfere with treatment and that
is why the condition should be
known to the layman in every
household.
The causes Of acute abdomen
are many. Probably the common
est is acute appendicitis. This may
start out quite insidiously, but
within "a or 4s hours change from
a mild pain in the abdomen to a
severe condition of distention.
vomiting and shock.
A second cause of the acute ABB
domen is intestinal obstruction.
The commonest form of this is a
strangulated hernia. 1t is aston
ishing how many people do not
know that they have a hernia
which may be dangerous. OF
series Of patients who entered a
hospital with a strangulsted fem
oral hernia, as per cent, and their
doctors, did not know that hernia
existed. and had no idea Of the
cause Of the symptoms.
A third form Of intestinal OBJ
struction occurs around adhesions.
In any patient who has had an abb
dominal operation and who sud-
denly has the symptoms of acute
abdomen, this complication should
be suspected.
Another which occurs in chill
dren is known as intussusception.
This is telescoping Of the small
bowel into the large bowel. A form
Of intestinal obstruction that oc-
ours in old people is known as vol
vulus and is due to a twisting Of
the bowel on itself.
Acute abdomen may be caused
by perforation of a part of the
stomach or bowel in which an ulcer
has eaten through. This occurs in
ulcer Of the stomach, typhoid
fever, Lucrative colitis and other
conditions.
Still another cause Of acute alb
domen is a twisting Of one Of the
pelvic organs.
The most important thing that
the layman should know about
acute abdomen is not to try to treat
it at home: especially not to try
to treat it with cathartics. Some
body who has "a little bellyache"
almost invariably thinks it will
get better if he takes cathartlc.
In every known condition which
causes an acute abdomen, this SIM
ply makes it worse and tends to
throw the patient into a dangerous
shock.
The best thing to do is to apply
heat until the doctor gets there.
By all odds, if there is any posi-
bility Of getting a doctor, do so.
A great many cases get well by
themselves If they are not stirred
up by a cathartic, so even if you
can't get a doctor, don't get hys-
terical and don't give cathartic.
Put the patient to bed with heat
on the abdomen in the form Of a
hot pack or hot towel and remem-
Der that there is such thing as
the acute abdomen which begins
with little symptoms such as q
little pain and discomfort, but
which can quickly grow into big
ones.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
z. L.; "My daughters feet get
white as soon as she gets cold. She
is healthy in every other way, is
"a years old and is working. Could
you advise me as TO what | could
do?"
Answer: These vasomotor dis
turbances are often due to emo
tional upsets. She should wear
wooden stockings and avoid con-
strictions such as garters around
the legs. The blood vessels Of the
feet can be exercised by alter
nately raising and lowering the
feet 20 TO 30 times at night before
retiring.