APPENDICITIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 69, 22 March 1928, Page 6

APPENDICITIS.

"XV' comments on my indignant protest against "early operations" for appendicitis are admirable in their restraint, especially if he be, as I suspect, a medical man himself. I am neither a doctor, dentist, chemist nor "quack"' of any shape or form; I am merely one who thinks over what he reads. "XV' knowledge of the human body and its organs is doubtless infinite compared with mine, which is very small indeed, but for his information I must add that my reading is almost entirely confined to books and lectures by members of the medical profession. We have one of His Majesty's physicians declaring university medical training to be '"a kindergarten training." This criticism would not appear to l>e unduly severe when the president of the last B.M.A. conference in Xew Zealand described the profession as "infants crying in the night." Surely these two statements alone are likely to cause considerably more "scepticism and distrust" in the people than my "indiscreet and harmful letter" which you so unwisely printed. The point I wish to press home to "X" and your other, readers is this: Medical men, dentists, chemists and scientists in daily increasing numbers are telling us. i:i emphatic language, that improper feeding is the cause of practically all disease and that in a wise and properly balauced diet are to be found the cure and prevention of disease. If I am wrong, why did the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, talk of legislation for the regulation of operations'! Or why should Dr. A. Clarke, former medical officer of health for Hawke's Bay, state in a public lecture: "Every operation that was performed and every prescription that was written I regard as a vote of censure on my profession, for the meaning of the word 'doctor' was to teach, and medical men should teach the people how to be healthy. People should go through life and carry to the grave the organs that were given them in creation and not have them cut out"T DISGUSTED. [We have reduced "DisgustedV letter considerably. We cannot continue this correspondence.—Ed. ]