CURE OF APPENDICITIS.

Evening Star, Issue 12926, 24 September 1906, Page 8

CURE OF APPENDICITIS.

The subject of appendicitis was discussed by several eminent surgeons at the meeting of the Berlin* Medical Society. The result of the discussion (states the Berlin correspondent of the ' Tribune') goes to show that a remarkable consensus of medical opinion exists on certain points. These may be summarised a.s follows: —Many cases recover without operation, bnt as no conchijiion regarding the success or failure of an operation can be drawn from the symptoms, an operation is advisable as offering the best guarantee of saving life. In critical cases an earlier operation is carried out, and this, if possible, should take place within forty-eight hours, as thereby is afforded a greater guarantee of success. In cases cured without operation, there is a danger of relapse in about half of the. total irmnber of cases. Most of the relapses occur within a year; after two years the chance of relapse is smaller. From the course of the first attack it is generally possible to foretell whether there is danger of a relapse or not. It is recommended that wren after recovery without operation there ehould be an operation before a relapse takes place, especially in the cases of patients who reside in remote localities, where the services of doctors are not obtainable, and in tho.«e of people going, on holiday journeys. Operation is declared to be especially necessary in regard to children, whose cases are most difficult to. diagnose. Lastly, at is a.tmed that diagnosis is easier in. the

case of -women than in that of men, though even with regard to tho latter it is now easier to do so than formerly.