[Medical training did not give survival advantage; life expectancy of Dutch medical professionals born between 1550 and 1909].

Objective: To examine if, over a period of centuries, the Dutch medical establishment enjoyed a survival advantage over a population group with a comparable social background and level of education.

Design: Retrospective database research.

Method: We used documents which provided data on the births and deaths of 15,649 male and 659 female medical professionals and of 15,304 male clergy.

[Murphy's Law].

Non-surgical treatment of acute phlegmonous appendicitis has been receiving increasing attention in recent years, representing a reversal of policy. The appendectomy came into vogue at the beginning of the 20th century. It is true that prompt surgical intervention in all patients with appendicitis or an indication thereof almost guarantees success, but it gradually came to be forgotten that this intervention was not always necessary.