As a general rule, under the constant, persistent use of the antisepticizing treatments, the patient ill with acute appendicitis will quickly get well without an operation. Rapidity of relief from all symptoms will be directly in proportion to how soon after the onset of the attack of appendicitis the administration of the antisepticizing treatments has been started. Quite serious cases get well as nicely and quickly as moderately severe or mild cases of appendicitis. Almost immediately after each treatment, the patient will remark that the pains, tenderness, cramps, discomfort, distention like feeling of the abdomen have improved and have been much relieved. It seems that the abdominal pains and distress get better by stepladder-like bounds or rather drops. Such serious cases wherein even the passing of gas is impossible are quickly helped and these patients are enabled to pass gas shortly after the first two or three antisepticizing treatments, thus being enabled to pass gas within the first twelve hours. The desire for water likewise returns with the first day; the appetite starts to return after the second day, but very little food should be allowed, and only liquid food at that. The patient can sleep in comfort within the first twenty-four hours.
It is only fair to this system that the nasal antisepticizing treatments should be started as soon as the patient begins to complain of abdominal discomfort or pains. The longer one delays in administering these nasal antisepticizing treatments for the cure of appendicitis, the greater is the likelihood of the gangrenous or ruptured forms of appendicitis setting in and making an operation necessary; or other dangerous complications of appendicitis may set in, such as peritonitis, pneumonia, heart attacks, or blood poisoning. These dire complications will also arise if the antisepticizing treatments are not administered with sufficient frequency and the necessary efficiency.
Neither enemas, nor cathartics), are advisable for the first two or three days or until the patient is considerably improved.
The decided abdominal distention commences to disappear within the first twenty four hours ; this is simultaneous with the return of the ability to pass gas in those severe cases where this last mentioned serious complaint was present. The general tenseness of the abdominal walls begins to disappear and the abdominal walls begin to soften and relax after the second day. The tenseness and mass-like feeling over the appendix area in the lower right abdominal region commences to relax and disappear within the second day after the antisepticizing treatments have been started. The pain and tenderness over the appendix area, especially on deep pressure, commences to disappear within the first twenty-four hours. The pain and tenderness of the abdomen which is brought out by pressing the hand deeply into the abdomen, especially over the appendix area, and then suddenly withdrawing the hand and thus relaxing the abdomen, commences to disappear within the second day after treatments are started.
We must be on our guard against the ruptured or gangrenous appendix; these forms of appendicitis must be operated on. These ruptured or gangrenous forms will only happen when the antisepticizing treatments are used too late and not thoroughly enough. The diagnosis of these serious, complicated types of appendicitis is made easier with the aid of the antisepticizing treatments. After each nasal antisepticizing treatment, the patient should feel better and should have less abdominal pain and tenderness. These gains should all be retained and held by the patient. The patient should not lost whatever gains he has made under the use of the antisepticizing treatments. In all forms of acute appendicitis, with the exception of the ruptured or gangrenous forms, he will retain and hold his gains. In the ruptured or gangrenous types, he will lose the slight gains obtained under the antisepticizing treatments ; and this will be quickly noticeable shortly after each antisepticizing treatment is given; and it will take only a few hours to tell if the case is one of ruptured appendicitis or not. This is a general rule which may be applied to all ruptured forms of abdominal diseases. The patient must obtain a definite amount of improvement after each treatment and most of this improvement must be retained and not lost again within the next few hours. The patient may be permitted to lose a little of the improvement gained, but another treatment should be administered at once, and then the patient must again make even greater gains than before and hold most of these gains. This should go on so until the patient is made completely well.
All large accumulations of free pus must be given free vent to and drained. An abdomen containing free pus must be opened and drained on the general rule that pus, wherever present in large or fairly large quantities, must be evacuated. The nasal antisepticizing treatments should be continued in all types of appendicitis.
The rapid and remarkable results obtained in acutely ill cases of appendicitis are so spectacular that the direct influence of the antisepticizing treatments on the disease is unmistakably seen.
The appendix, just like the middle ear cavity, the lungs, the nasal sinuses, has an opening or vent to the outside world, whereby all accumulation in the appendix can be drained off. In the case of the appendix, this vent is by way of the intestines (the large intestines). The accumulations inside the appendix are drained off into the intestines and excreted in the feces.