| Summary: | When Pain Suddenly Stops Nature Is Giving Warning. When Pain Suddenly Stops Nature Is Giving Warning. If intense abdominal pain should suddenly stop, just as the pain usually stops when a boil breaks, this may be a warning signal that the appendix has burst, as a boil would erupt, and the infected tents of the appendix would have been thrown into the abdominal cavity, setting up peritonitis, which is the most commonly fatal of all diseases. Thus Dr. Frank H. Baehr tell of the subject in his article, "Appendicitis," which appears in the January issue of Hygeia. Peritonips is a result of a neglected attack of appendicitis, the inflamed condition of a diseased appendix. There are three causes of appendicitis: Disease-producing germs from inside the intestinal track may enter the appendix and set up an inflammation. Diseased teeth or tonsils may cause appendicitis or the appendix may become involved following a general sickness such as measles, mumps, chickenpox, scarlet fever, influenza and others. If a near-by organ, such as right ovary or the right fallopian tube in a female, is infected, the inflammation may spread to the appendix. Appendicitis is equally common in the two sexes and in some cases, hereditary has some influence. Many persons still have the fallacious idea that seeds cause this disease. Some years ago, when surgeons found small, hard pieces they mistook them for seeds. By laboratory methods it has been found that this idea is incorrect. The disease is common among civilized people, whose diet is extensive and varied. Among the less civilized people, such as the Eskimos and Abyssinians, who live on simple diets, it is rare. Heavy lifting, straining or a blow on the abdomen may cause an acute attack of appendicitis, but even this is virtually impossible unless the appendix was already in an unhealthy condition. "There are two types of appendicitis, acute and chronic. Acute attacks come on suddenly and are usually quite severe. Peritonitis is a likely complement to this form if not attended to immediately. The second type, chronic or recurrent appendicitis, lasts over a period of time and may be the cause of numerous other ailments. Poisons produced by the diseased appendix circulate through the body and are responsible for symptoms of rheumatism, neuritis, heart trouble, indigestion, ulcer of the stomach, gallbladder disease and gallstones.
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