Founder of modern pathology Rudolf Virchow, known for both his social conscience and his mordant sense of humour, was once asked by a student "Prof Virchow, can men live without the gallbladder?"
- this was around the end of the 19th century, the time when gall bladder removal was becoming a popular surgery for treating jaundice or gallstones, and surgeons were beginning to make a big pitch for the operation.
Virchow thought for a moment:
"Men, yes" he commented. "But surgeons? I think not".
An old fellow came into the hospital truly on death's door due to an infected gallbladder. The surgeon who removed the gallbladder was adamant that his patients be up and walking in the hall the day after surgery, to help prevent blood clots forming in the leg veins. The nurses walked the patient in the hall as ordered, and after the third day the nurse told how he complained bitterly each time they did. The surgeon told them to keep walking him. After a week, the patient was ready to go. His family came to pick him up and thanked the surgeon profusely for what he had done for their father. The surgeon was pleased and appreciated the thanks, but told them that it was really a simple operation and we had been lucky to get him in time. "But doctor, you don't understand," they said, "Dad hasn't walked in over a year!"
"Yesterday, Attorney General John Ashcroft had surgery to remove his gall bladder. Doctors say the surgery was difficult because Ashcroft refused to take his clothes off." —Conan O'Brien
"Attorney General John Ashcroft has been hospitalized. I believe he is suffering from homophobia. No, actually, it was just gallstones, but when they gave him the hospital gown that opens in the back, he refused to wear it, he thought it was a gay wedding dress." —Jay Leno
"Attorney General John Ashcroft was admitted Thursday to the intensive care unit of a Washington hospital for gallstone pancreatitis. While he was there, doctors may also try to remove the stick from his butt." —Tina Fey
Despite what you may have seen on the streets, the following combinations DO NOT go together for people over 50: A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar.
Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was released from a hospital following gall bladder surgery. It was a complicated surgery. It took three hours just to locate the gall bladder.
That was the biggest pain in Hastert's side since Nancy Pelosi.
........ and finally:
Too bad J.A., you lost some of your sexiness............... Maxim Science magazine's recent unveiling of their annual sexiest organ rundown. Not suprising to many experts, and longtime readers, repeating with top honors was the vagina, followed by the breasts. Making the list for the first time this year, the gallbladder came in third.
Best regards,
Rooster
