MICROBE OF APPENDICITIS 231 



cavity is closed in half of the race. At sixty-five, in 

 few cases only is it not closed. 



As all infection comes from the caecum through 

 the passage into the appendix, when this door is 

 shut, this disease is, of course, impossible. Hence 

 the fact that appendicitis is chiefly a malady of 

 youthful days. Fifty per cent occurs between the 

 ages of ten and twenty-five. As the years increase, 

 the visitations decrease. At fifty, every person may 

 reasonably congratulate himself as having passed 

 the danger line. The knife then should think twice 

 before acting once. 



A leading physician in this city was taken ill. 

 The surgeon diagnosed the case, pronounced it ap- 

 pendicitis, used the knife. He found it not appen- 

 dicitis at all, but peritonitis, inflammation of the 

 small bowel. Within forty -eight hours the distin- 

 guished patient was dead. No doubt appendicitis, 

 in his case, had been impossible for ten, even twenty 

 years. 



May we not excuse gray hairs for not having im- 

 possible ills? Are not the possible enough? Is not 

 discretion the better part of the knife? 



