structures lying between them and the examining finger forms the
whole secret of success in the practice of palpation of the
vermiform appendix."_

Can there be any wonder that this disease is so fulminating in the
hands of the average medical man or can there be any surprise at the
death rate? If such an examination were given to a well man and
repeated as frequently as in the average appendicitis case, I say
that the well man would soon suffer from some severe disease induced
by bruising.

When appendicitis or typhlitis ends in an abscess, and the pus sac
is ruptured by meddlesome, unskilled treatment, scientific or
otherwise, causing the pus to burrow toward the groin, surgery is
the only treatment; there is no hope of recovery in such a case
without establishing thorough drainage, and this means skilled
surgical treatment. It will positively be a miracle if such a
patient recovers without an operation. I have seen these cases
linger for two, three, and even five years. The type of cases that
lingers so long is one that has an imperfect drainage, either into
the bowels or through a fistulous outside opening.

What per cent of cases is of this type? That is hard to tell for the
world is full of unskilled, heavy-handed manipulators.

I have seen quite a number of this type who had been brought into
this unnecessary state by bungling doctors who were treating them
for typhoid fever and its complications.

I say without fear of successful contradiction that there never was