Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-18

adult but waxes intense over q general
discussion Of ~tonsils, Everybody has
them or has had an exciting time get
ting rid of them, and If by chance a
grow1-up hasn't personally a perform
ing set Of ~tonsils, there are always
tue tonsilar adventures Of the chill
dren. not to speak of their adenoids.
Yet, with all the interest in this sub
Ject, comparatively few people can tell
what tonsils are for and why mankind
s SO pestered by them.
throat specialist of this city. DR..
w. A. Wells, explained some of the
modern ideas on this subject the other
day. 1t may be d shock to some people
to learn that we really should practi-
caiiy dispense with tonsils by the age
IF 10 years. At the age of about II in
girls and about Is in boys the tonsils
should be shrunken almost to atrophy,
says DR.. Wells.
Ii you have had no tonsilar troubles
ce childhood, the probabilities are
that yours naturally faded out of your
life at the proper time. If this is the
case You should have practically no
trouble for the rest of your days. This
was natures plan, as modern special
SITS understand it. The tonsils serve
their purpose in infancy and childhood,
Ind then they unobtrusively shrink.
There are several theories regard
ing the function Of the ~tonsils. The
belief that they in any way affect di-
5estion or the singing voice is no long
er generally held. DIR. Wells says
that the most plausible theory is that
they make white blood cells in young
children. At about the age of 10 or
- tho hnna ,aprnY ,,ISol, ~,ojyoc @f,a
same sort OF cells. begins to be active
nd the tonsils are no longer needed
or this purpose.
1t is a sad fact, however, that most
people do not retire their tonsils at
the critical stage. If the tonsils are
not altogether healthy at the time
when s~hrinkage would normally occur,
the diseased organs flourish and on ii
very little encouragement from germs
at any time become sore and swollen.
How the Trouble Starts
Trouble starts somewhat like this:
tho t0nsil is a capsule containing a
mass of soft and spongy tissue known
as lymphoid. In this tissue are a num-
Der of crypts and depressions. Germ
colonies lodge in these recesses. and
diseased matter and pus form. These
produce pois0ns and the poisons
spread through the system. In recent
years diseased teeth have been q pop
ular explanation Of all manner of all
ments. Now the throat specialist Of
fers the theory that nine cases out ef
ten of rheumatism and neuritis can be
traced to diseased tonsils. Heart
trouble. kidney infiammations. high
blood pressure and even hardened ar
teries have been connected with ton
sis.
If the natural atropi1y fails to take
place in adolescence It is generally de-
erred until old age. Then the soft
.ymphoid tissue is gradually replaced
~ hard. fibrous tissue.
One Of the most recent uses of ra
dunn 10 be developed to a practical
stage is in connection with t~onslls.
Radium is now being used success.
fully to cause the atrophy that nature
fails to accomplish. Dr. Wells. who
recently published Il report Oh this sub
ject, says that radium does in u few
hours what nature takes years to do.
Two radinm needles nre inserted in the
diseased tonSiI for a certain length of
time. and after two or three Of these
treatments the organ is shrunk to its
normal insignificance.
The needles used are about one
inch long and about the thickness of
II phonograph needle. At the blunt
end is an eye in which silk is threaded
so that the needle can he readily with
drawn. Small as these tools are they
represent four or five thousand dollars
worth of radium. The precious sub
stance is in the center of the needle
ana the exterior. composed Of platinum
and iridium, forms Il screen through
| which the rays are filtered. No matter
how often or how little the needles
are used dne-half Of their power will
not be gone for 1900 years.
Radium's Mysterious Ways
one strange fact about radium is
that il has q seiective effect. letting
| some small cells alone and changing
the character Of others. II has been
found that the tissue Of Tie tonsiis is
extremely sensitive to radium. Colo
MES Of disease germs disappear and
the soft tissue is absorbed and shriv-
eled. leaving only firm healthy tissue
behind.
Jr. Wells does not advocate his
method Of radium treatment rs 4 sub
~stittite for removal of tonsils by sur
gicnl operation. Radium il for those
who cannot stand an operation. 1t
has the advantages If being painless
and of not weakening. II involves no
hospital illness. Nevertheless il is not
for the average person. II is expeu-
sive.
Even though new sources Of radium
are discovered from time 10 time there
~ little prospect Of It's becoming an
inexpensive material The cost of min
ing and extracting ii II large, and doc
/ tors using it are mainly specialists who
have evolved methods Of treatment by
long study and large investment. Still,
the cost Of radium is dropping. Where
once il Sold for Slf0 d milligram il
! is now quo1eds at $40.
N-ray has also been used as Il treat
ment for diseased t~0nsils. with varying
success. The disadvantage il that the
rays must penetarte to the tonsils from
the outside Of the neck. whereas ra-
dunn can be applied directly To the
! diseased organ.
Closely allied 10 tousilar troubles
is the popular disease known as AIDE
noids. When people speak of AIDE
noids they refer to n disease of the
nose and throat where they join. This
organ is sometimes called the third
%tonsiI, and Ike the ether two it is
supposed to shrink early in life. When
: il fails IL atrophy and gets larger in
stead by disease. breathing is obstruct-
| ed and considerable discomfort may re-
suit. This third tonsil may swell 10
81 ht0opr size Than the tpuSilg af thp