APPENDICITIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1174, 20 November 1913, Page 4

APPENDICITIS.

SURGICAL TREATMENT

Kighty-oue operations for appendicitis were performed at the Palmerston Hospital in the year ending March 31, 1913. In noting this, Dr. A. A. Martin, chief medical officer to the Board, remarks that “appendicitis still looms largely as one ot the most dangerous maladies, aud nothing but prompt surgical interference will save these cases. The surgical staff is so afraid of the rapidly progressive danger of these cases of appendicitis that the majority of the patients ate operated on almost immediately after arrival at the hospital. As an example, one evening recently three cases suffering from acute appendicitis arrived within a few hours of each other. All were operated on the same night. Two of them, men, had ruptured bowel and abcesses, the other, a women, had ruptured bowel and general veritonitis. In cases of severe abdominal pain the public would do well to remember these rules : (i; Do not give the patient any food. (2) Do not purge them, except under competent advice. (3) Find out actually what is the matter before proceeding to treatment. It is the dangerous interference by fussy and incompetent friends that put many ot the patients into a position ot imminent danger.”

Of the 81 operations, 17 had suppurating abcesses, ten had gangrene of the appendix, two had general peritonitis and recovered. It may be mentioned that the surgical death rate at the hospital is, roughly, only 3.5 per cent —13 deaths in 371 operations —a ratio whicn speaks for itself.