Appendicitis is a disease which became well-known during the 19th century. It consists in inflammation of the vermiformappendix of the large intestine, a somewhat wormlike hollow body, several inches long, projecting from and opening into the intestine, but closed at the opposite extremity. In appendicitis proper the inflammation begins in the appendix and spreads to neighbouring parts, and thus the disease is sometimes included under the term perityphlitis, which more strictly belongs to inflammation connected with the caecum, and not necessarily with the appendix.
Appendicitis is usually set up by more or less hard bodies that become lodged in the appendix, especially particles of food that have not been sufficiently masticated. The disease may be very slight, lasting for a day or two, and accompanied with some pain and sickness; or it may take a severe and violent form, the result being death in a few hours. Death may also occur at a longer interval, when an abscess forms, which bursts into the abdominal cavity. There are also cases of chronic and of relapsing appendicitis, and in these removal of the organ is necessary. Some surgeons resort to removal of the appendix in all cases of the disease. The usual symptoms are such as pain in the belly, especially low down on the right side, fever, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Early remedies were such as rest in bed, hot fomentations or poultices applied to the belly, with opium to relieve pain, food being given in small quantities, in the fluid form and hot. During the 20th century surgery became the preferred treatment, the appendix being cut out by a surgeon. Research Appendicitis
Leucocytosis is the name given to a condition of the blood in which the leucocytes or white corpuscles in the bloodplasma are increased in number. These leucocytes are minute protoplasmic cells, which have the power of movement and can pass out of the smallest capillary blood vessels into the surrounding tissues. They act as scavengers, and play an important part in the destruction and removal of bacteria in the body, a process known as phagocytosis.
The leucocytes are of different types, and normal blood contains a fairly constant proportion of each type. In infection or inflammation the leucocytes become greatly increased in number; the leucocytes which are killed in the attack on the bacteria form pus. In certain blood diseases, of which leukaemia is the best example, the increase is also often enormous, even reaching to 80,000 and 100,000 white corpuscles in a cubic millimetre of blood which normally contains only from 5,000 to 6,000. The symptoms of this disease are very similar to those of anaemia, and the diagnosis is confirmed by microscopic examination of the blood. The leukaemias are accompanied by swelling of the glands but this also occurs in other diseases.
A small increase of the white corpuscles is found in such a great number of the more common diseases that an examination of the blood is often made as a routine measure. In many cases, for instance, of appendicitis, the white corpuscles increase to from 15,000 to 20,000 per cubic millimetre; in pneumonia they also increase sometimes to 40,000 per cubic millimetre. In other more common diseases such as tonsilitis or sore throat, erysipelas, in smallpox, and inflammatory diseases such as septicaemia, boils, bone diseases and pyaemia, a greater or less increase is always found. In other diseases absence of an increase often enables the right diagnosis to be made, since in typhoid fever (which might in the early stages be mistaken for appendicitis) there would be no increase in the early stage of the disease, but it would probably be marked in the latter stages. In whooping-cough a marked leucocytosis occurs, which may confirm a doubtful diagnosis. Research Leucocytosis
Meckel's diverticulum is a protrusion from the small intestine resembling the appendix and dound in roughly two percent of people. It is a vestigal structure and can become inflammed with resulting symptoms similar to those of appendicitis. Research Meckel's Diverticulum
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Frederick Treves
