When I was three I had my appendix out, dr. used sulfer, but I was not allowed to have water (back n 1938) why
Answer:
The doctor gave you a sulfonamide, one of the first antibiotics available. It was referred to as sulfa, often misunderstood by lay persons who thought they were given sulfur.
You were not given water because medical science was only beginning to understand fluid and electrolyte balance. But they knew if they gave you water you would vomit, making electrolyte imbalance worse. The work of scientists like Darrow, Gamble, Butler and Pratt was just beginning, and the multitude of doctors then in practice either did not know about it or did not comprehend its significance. For the past six decades, people have been given intravenous fluids to replace losses and fill fluid and electrolyte requirements.
Glad you survived. Many children of your era didn't.
Sorry to hear, you were denied a necessity.
But, if they used sulfer, then may be they did not want water to react with sulfur, as they reaction gives out a lot of heat, so it could burn your internal organs.
Just a guess according to what I have studied
well things have changed alot since 1938 but my guess would be sulfer is used to absord and they wanted the sulfur to absorb the poison and by drinking water it would take longer to absorb. doctors are more educated now days, they only did what they knew best back then. now days they have IVs you were just dehydrated then.
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