ESTABLISHED 1875. The Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Published Every Morning. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1905. APPENDICITIS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7972, 8 February 1905, Page 2

ESTABLISHED 1875.

The Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Published Every Morning. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1905. APPENDICITIS.

Dr Joseph Kidd has a short article in the Nineteenth Century on the cause and prevention of appendicitis. The fashionable ailment—now likely to be confirmed in its popularity— was very infrequent twenty years ago. There used to be many cases of peritonitis, but these mostly gave : way before the usual hot fomentation, castor oil and barley water treatment. Chill is very often, we are told, the immediate cause of the complaint. Young people get their feet wet playing games on the grass and take no care of- their health wljen they are tired or overheated. Intestinal troubles are liable to follow either from neglect or from mismanagement, and in such cases the risk of appendicitis is great. Then, jtiurried eatinp and imperfect mastifjatipn are very potent causes of appendicitis,. Sjr: Frecleripk Tre/ves once declared toafc ." many an operation for appendicitis had been prevented by a new set of teeth." "Fifty years ago," says Dr Kidd, " England was awakening from the ' blue pill' and ' black draught' of Abernethy, and people were beginning to discontinue the use of purgatives. Priessnitz had taught what a tumbler of simple cold water in the early morning could do to throw aside the ' blue pill' and

' black draught' regime. But this happy era of health management was burst in upon about twentyfive years ago by the introduction of Hungarian waters, aperient salts, and liver pills ; thousands began to dose themselves, and, sad to say, continue to do so to this day. It is a mistake, Dr Kidd says, to attempt to hurry the process of digestion. Nature does her work slowly but surely, and the habitual use of the liver pill or the laxative simply causes her to rebel with often disastrous results. The three rules for the prevention of appendicitis are simple :Do not neglect chills, especially when tired in mind or body ; masticate well and eat slowly ; avoid aperient salts, waters and pills. When appendicitis threatens the physician generally advises operation, aud Dr Kidd says that modern surgery has worked a marvellous success in this especial operation. The operation is a serious one, but delay is still more dangerous. Here, as everywhere, however, prevention is better than cure.