Article March 16, 1899 Issue

Scared Into Appendicitis

New Orleans Times-Democrat

"I had appendicitis the other day," said a St. Charles Street business man; "that is to say I had it to all intents and purposes. This is the way I contracted it: About a week ago I borrowed a medical book from a friend to look up a point about which I was curious. It was a work on diagnosis, and among other things it gave a minute description of the symptoms of appendicitis. I have always been much afraid of the malady, and that chapter had a hideous fascination for me. I read it and re-read it, and as I did so it seemed to me that some of the premonitory signs coincided exactly with certain aches and pains I had felt for several days. I got alarmed at once, and that night was panic-stricken by severe cramp a little north-east of my right hip-bone. That I knew to be the fatal spot, and needless to say I didn't sleep a wink. By morning I had all the symptoms of a typical case, and could scarcely get around to see the doctor. I began to tell him my story, when he stopped me. 'How do you come to know so much about the disease?' he asked. I replied proudly that I had been reading up on it. 'The dickens you have!' he replied. 'Well, you get right out of this office, confound you! and don't waste any more of my time!' Then he explained that every medical student always has all the diseases on record, in regular order, just as he studies them, and I began to feel better. I went home, returned the blasted book, and am now entirely out of danger, thank you. It was the quickest recovery on record."

New Orleans Times-Democrat.

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