APPENDICITIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8109, 14 May 1906, Page 2

APPENDICITIS.

INTERVIEW WITH EXPEETS, PEil I'RESS ASSOCIATION. Wblmnoion, May 12.

Discussing appendicitis with a "Post" reporter, a medical expert declared that cluriug the last ye ir there were about fifty operations for ippoudicitis in the Wellington public hospital, with two deaths, and these occurred beoause the malady hid been left too long before the patients were brought to the institution, Tli.y were not tho result of the operation*. The gre.it niajority of the eases treated last year hid been previously attacked, and the pitients were fairly sound, but about a third of them had been in the acute stage. While patients were in this condition operations were not performed, exoept when they were absolutely required in the endeivour to save life. If an operation was performed after an attack had passed off, there was practically no danger, but there was very often a considerable amount of danger if the operation had to be done while the attack was on. There was nothing abnormal in the present number of cases. There was no doubt that ten or fifteen years ago.before appendicitis was recognised, larger numbers of people died from peritonitis than now. The great danger of appendicitis was in in the setting up of goneral peritonitis, and, therefore, came the advisablenoss of timely medical aid. Another export said an operation for appendicitis, if dono before inflammation had thoroughly set in, was a simple one. But the dangor of allowing the evil to run to "pus" was very great. Certainly, if an operation were voided, and tho abscess burst inside tho person was bound to die. There was no ease on record where a reoovery had been made from that condition.