Show j PENDICITIS j I Dr JT Lucas Ch Chnmplonncrc noted I Paris physician recently read a paper heroro the French Academy of Medicine 1 Medi-cine which Is creating a good deal of discussion and soma points in it we epitomize from the CourierJournal The doctor calls appendicitis ca larrhal Inflammation of mucous membranes mem-branes which extending to the appendix appen-dix produces a condition of purulcnco hat t becomes localized pen tonitht j The learned doctor believes that this I inflammation is practically an evolution i j of the last twenty years While discussing dis-cussing the theory that many phydl chins entertain that it is an old disease dis-ease the treatment of which was not understood until recently the French dostor says From this research r draw the conclusion conclu-sion = thai while appendicitis Is not actually actual-ly a new disease jor the appendix alwayn existed and has always been susceptible to divors alterations Is I so Increased Infrequency In-frequency and virulence that as far as the physician ROCS he Itf i forced to accept I the proposition that he Is dealing with a problem that never or rarely I troubled nil predecessors and that since he mint begin at the beginning discover causes I and Invent new forms of treatment lie Is to all Intents and purposes combating a i now foe to huninr health and life i In fearchlnff for the cause the doc I tor associates appendicitis grip and mealeating lie says In the old days the farmer and the artltan living natural lives could sustain strength on fruit and vegetables with meat a relatively rela-tively unimportant part of their diet The nervous strain of today demands more powerful stimulants and so meat has become a great food staple Doubtless Doubt-less the doctor is talking about Paris and France In America his remarks da not apply very well because the worker In America has always been a tremendous jneatealer The frontier trapper and hunter lives almost wholly on meat Moreover as we look around and think of those who have been aC filcted with appendicitis In this country as a rule they have not been heavy meateaters The doctor says that children are given meat nowdays when their diet should be purely lacteal and he has even heard men boast that they never under any circumstances ate vegetables fruit or bread but he does not add that these are tho men that have been chiefly afflicted by appendicitis appendi-citis Regarding the appendix he says there are certain conditions which must be considered as follows I think I may safely say that It Is more suscoptlblo to disease l than any organ In the body With lie lymphoid l glands and closed ducts It possesses a considerable lymphatic network peculiarly predisposed to the I absorption of poisonous matters Its direct connection with the intestines makes lie appendix the depository of tho most virulent infections df tho body and slnco the organ has no outlet these toxics multiply Increase In power and finally work the most violent conseaucnceg i nave shown that to infect the intes tines Is to afT < ict the appendix Now togo I to-go further Incontestable records provo that every epidemic multiplies Intestinal Infection and that particularly has his been found true of Inllurnza > I The change In our food tho shifting from xctjstable to animal foods linn worked structural changes In tho Intes tines and made them more llablo to dln ease Animal food contains to a much eater degree properties Inimical to health and the consumption of meat Is increasing daily I have never seen or heard of a vega tarian being a victim of appendicitis In countries where 11 vegetable regIme still obtains appendicitis Ms practically un known and finally In tho two countries where jnentcaUns has Its greatest vogue England tho United States there aro more cases of appendicitis than In the rest of the entire world put together Do not these facts point their obvious moral Dr ChampJoherre further sayo that after every epidemic of grip there Is always I al-ways an outbreak hundreds s more or less of serious cases of appendicitis We do not know what our local phyal clans would say to the French doctors views but our own opinion Is that most of them perhaps know the matter better bet-ter than the Frenchman for they probably have ocen more cases A very eminent German physician who was here a couple of years ago called on one of our local physicians who showed him through one of our hospitals and coming to one couch ho said Doctor here Is a patient that I operated on yesterday for appcndlcIHslhe learned German said I am very sorry that I was not here as I have ncv ret r-et jseen an operation of that kind |