Show ABOUT appendicitis dr allen alien gives interesting information orma as to its cause and cure to the editor I 1 in your issue of saturday occurs a local note which needs a little correction it says W at wilker east fourth south died at the L D S hospital this morning from the effects of an operation tor for appendicitis lie he died from septic infection or blood poisoning caused by a diseased appendix which ruptured about 48 hours before the doctor first saw him he was taken to the hospital as soon as the physician saw him and the operation showed a ruptured appendix with a large quantity of puss among the intestines As much of this poisonous puss as possible was removed patient ease eased d from his pain made a good recovery from the operation his blood was thoroughly poisoned however and he died in one week after coming to the hospital appendicitis Is such a common disease that the public ought to know something about it people living far away from medical help or those who do not want to call in doctors ought to know what to do when this disease first makes its appearance with pains and tenderness in the right side usually accompanied with nausea and vomiting the patient should be put to bed and kept perfectly quiet and the stomach kept entirely empty for 24 hours after this absolutely nothing but a little water must be allowed the patient tor for about one week give no physic during this time some of the best authorities ties on the subject claim that out of every cases treated as above also adding washing out of the stomach to stop severe vomiting that 80 will recover and 20 will die but no one is wise enough to tell which ones of the will be among the unfortunate 20 out of every cases operated in the first 24 1 hours of the disease there will be about 95 recoveries quite a number of those who get over one attack never have another but it if the second attack comes on in u in ost caa es it I 1 li flowe lowed db by d Y the third and fourth and so eo on until the appendix ruptures when this happens one of the gravest and most anost ler terrible situations faces the patient and one of the most difficult problems in surgery is before the surgeon the appendix may rupture at the first attack or not until one or more attacks have followed the initial one As boon as rupture takes place one of two things happens either the material that escapes from the ruptured appendix is surrounded by a wall 0 of f protective lymph and aches alons and a localized abeels Is formed or second the escaping material Is at once scattered widely among the intestines and spreads all through the abdominal cavity proving fatal in so many cases no matter what Is done the removal of the appendix Is one one of the safest and simplest of operations it done in the first 24 hours of the disease in view of 0 this well known fact the wisest and best thing to do Is to remove the organ in the first 24 or 48 hours of the disease this Is one of the strongest convictions vict ions I 1 have hae after dealing with appendicitis itis in all its forms for sixteen years and having lost three of my immediate relations from the disease in that tirre we do not know what the function of c e appendix Is but we do know that thai people can live in good health without wi without it and ad that after it Is once diseased its function is destroyed the best way to prevent this disease is to eat and drink properly avoid stimulants drink three to six glasses of cool boiled water every day it Is a most valuable practice to drink a glass of water from one halt half to one hour before meals and drink nothing with the meal chew the food very thoroughly and drink a glass of water about two ours after the meal eat but very little meat graham bread bread fruits nuts grains ad and vegetables properly prepared and eaten slowly will prevent constipation prevent constipation by proper diet and quitting tight clothing about the waist and you will prevent many cases of appendicitis I 1 I 1 SAMUEL H ALLEN ALLEK M D deseret news |