Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1893 — A New Cure for Appendicitis. [ARTICLE]

A New Cure for Appendicitis.

Of late years a fearful dread has gone abroad that every one who eats fruits with small seeds in them is pretty sure to run the risk of dying a fearful death by appendicitis, or be forced to undergo a dangerous operation. So strong has this dread taken hold of the public mind that thousands refuse to eat small fruits when seeds have to be eaten with them. Grapes are always pitted by them, and blackberries, and even raspberries, with their small insidious seeds, are taken entirely from their bill of fare. The fact is that appendicitis occurs very rarely, and the percentage of people who eat fruit with seeds in them that are caught is insignificantly small. When the complaint does seize one it is not necessary to resort to an operation except in severe cases, nor is it absolutely necessary to die. The latest and most successful cure is to administer Internally one to two ounces of sweet oil every three hours until the pain and fever are relieved. The seed which causes the trouble irritates the muscular tissue so that congestion follows, and this may soon cause inflammation of a very serious character. Sweet oil, administered i* time and faithfully, allays the inflammatory condition, reduces temperature, and relaxes the tension of the muscular coating of the intestines and anpendix. Besides this it takes seed or all foreign substauces with it, and effects a complete cure. The patient should be kept in bed and poultices should be applied very hot over the seat of pain.