ENAMEL-WARE AND APPENDICITIS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 14 August 1919, Page 4

ENAMEL-WARE AND APPENDICITIS.

Some weeks ago, in one of my budgets, I referred to the danger of using chipped enamel-ware, owing to its liability to cause appendicitis, and I related how a doctor in charge of one of the military camps had discovered that as soon as the enamel-ware plates and dishes used in the camp were taken out of use appendicitis, which had previously been very prevalent among the men, completely disappeared. Since that paragraph was penned I observe that " enamelware as a direct cause of appendicitis " is discussed by Dr. Gordon in the N.Z. Medical Journal, who writes: '' Enamel is a glass. It was introduced into domestic use about 25 or 30 years ago when appendicitis was beginning to cause some stir in medical circles by its increasing frequency. From that time this increase has gone on at an appalling rate, and has been coincident with the general use of enamelware for domestic purposes. 1 judge enamelware to be the main cause of appendicitis." Again I say if you have any enamelware plates, dishes, mugs, jugs, pie-dishes, saucepans, kettles, etc. —throw them in the scrap-heap. You'll find it come cheaper than undergoing an operation. Even sound enamelware is unsafe because it so easily becomes cracked and chipped, and when ia that condition it cannot be used without exposing those eating or drinking from it to a terrible risk.