the surgical mania the patient must be operated upon at once, for if
twelve or twenty-four hours are given, the conditions may clear up
and an operation will be unnecessary. The majority of surgeons feel
that they will forfeit their right to heaven if they do not cut at
once. The consequence is that there are many patients operated upon
who are as innocent of having the disease as the surgeon is innocent
of a knowledge of a better plan of treatment.

Of course, the surgeon declares that pus should be let out by
cutting into it, or it is liable to break into the peritoneal cavity
and cause death This is positively not the truth, for when an
abscess threatens, nature at once proceeds to throw a wall around in
order to avoid accidents. All around the point of prospective
abscesses, heavy walls of adhesions are built, and if nature is not
interfered with, the abscess will break into the gut, because it is
the point of least resistance, and it is also the point favored by
gravity. The surgeons when they operate in these cases work exactly
opposite to nature.

If these abscesses are allowed to open into the bowel and solid food
is kept away from the patient, full and uncomplicated recovery will
take place. If solid food is given too soon it is liable to find its
way into the abscess cavity and cause a blind fistula, which may
take on acute inflammation at any time. These cases then become
chronic and are called recurring appendicitis. It is sound surgery,
in dealing with abscesses, to find, if possible, the direction
nature is taking to evacuate pus and be guided by this suggestion in
evacuating a pus cavity.

In order to cure appendicitis you must remove the cause. Cutting off