The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-20
TonSilitis.

The above term, says an exchange.
signifies an accute Inflammation OF the
tonsils, and is an affection which is most
likely to occur among children during
the damp and changeable weather of the
fall and winter months. It usually
comes on suddenly after an unusual ex-
posure to cold and damp, and seems to
be predisposed by bad state of the sys-
tenn. Children of a scrofulous tempera-
ment have an especial tendency to this
disease. The attack is generally ushered
in by languor, pallor, chilliness, some
sickness at the stomach, headache, and,
later, high fever. Very soon the child
will complain of dryness and soreness of
the throat, and perhaps pain in the ear
and about the neck. Examination at
this time will reveal red and Swollen
condition of the throat, and probably the
affected tonsil will appear infamed, en-
larged, and rounded. If the infam-
mafory action be of high degree,
in day or two small yellow
ish or whitish spots may appear
upon the tonsils, which will slightly
resemble the patches peculiar to diphthe-
ria. The appearance of these spots often
occasions great alarm among the imme-
diate friends, upon the supposition that
they are diphtheritic in character. They
are not, however, of any great import
ance, and generally disappear in from
two to five days. If the attack is of a
serious nature, the throat may become so
closed from the swollen condition of the
tonsils and adjoining structures as to rem
der the act of swallowing difficult and
painful. Even milk or water will be re-
fused because of the painful and choking
sensation they occasion.
This disease, under timely and proper
treatment, rarely lasts longer than from
three to seven days, and recovery will be
complete in ten days or two weeks. 1t
rarely or never proves fatal, unless the
attack be of great severity and the patient
of feeble constitution. After an at
tempt of this kind in scrofulous children,
the tendency is for the tonsils to remain
enlarged, and the child is especially liable
to repeated occurrences of the same kind.
In such event there will ensue in time
chronic enlargement of the tonsils, and
catarrhal state of the nose and throat.
This condition is also often followed
in time by catarrhal of the eustachian
tube leading to the ear, and occasionally
there results deafness and 'gatherings"
in the ears. 1t will be seen, therefore,
that the sequelG, or after troubles, re-
sulting from tonsilitis are by no means
of slight Importance.
The domestic treatment of mild cases
of acute tensilitis is simple and of use
full character. The child's feet and legs
should be thoroughly soaked in hot
mustard water, and then it should be
wrapped in a blanket and put to bed
and kept there until out of danger. Its
bowels should be acted upon by some
cathartic like the solution of the citrate
of magnesia. Free action of the skin
should be encouraged by frequent drinks
of hot catnip tea and the use of sweet
sririts of nitre. The throat should be
protected outside by two or three thick
n'esses of flannel, and the diet should be
of the mildest character, like good fresh
milk. This line of treatment will often
break up an attack in two or three days,
but, if it be severe, the advice of the
family physician will be necessary.