The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-16
Frederick Haskin's [ etterl


port on this subject, say, ~.
radtum does In a few hours ss1
nature takes years to do Tn ss'
dunn needles are inserted =
diseased tonsil for a certain .,e...s
OF time. and after two or thres -
these treatments the orran y
shrunk to its normal insignines,..
The needles used are sbou, -.
inch long and about the thictns..
of . photograph needle. Al n.
blunt end is an eye in thtck an
il threaded SO that the needle -.
be readily withdrawn. Sinai, -
these tools are they represent foa,
or five thousand dollars worth -
radium. The preciGas substance =
in the center Of the needle and IN.
exterior, composed Of platinum a
iridium, forms a &creen thros,h
which the rays are filtered \.
matter bow often or how little ths
needles are used one-haf OF Their
power will not be gone for 1Ssa
years.
Radium's Mysterious Wars
One strange fact about radium ia
that it has a selective effect, letting
some cells alone and changing the
character Of others. It has been
found that the tissue of the tonsils
is extremely sensitive to radium,
Colonies Of disease germs disappear
and the soft tissue is absorbed and
shriveled, leaving only firm, healthy
tissues behind.
, DR.. Wells does not advocate his
method of radium treatment a
substitute for removal of tonsils by
surgical operation. Radium is TO-
those who cannot stand an opera.
ton. 1t has the advantages Of be-
ing painless and of not being
| weakening. 1t involves no hospital
! illness. Nevertheless 1t is not for
i the average person. 1t is expensive
Even though new sources Of "a
dunn are discovered from time TO
time there is little prospect Of its
| becoming an inexpensive material
The cost of mining and extracting ii
iS>large, and doctors using it are
mainly specialists who have eVoly-
ed methods of treatment by long
study and large investment. Still,
the cost of radium is dropping,
| Where once it sold for $ll0 MILL
gram it is now quoted at around
$40.
X-ray has also been used q .
treatment for diseased tonsils,> with
! VARYING success. The disadvantage
| is that the rays must penetrate to
the tonsils from the outside Of the
neck, whereas radium can be ~
piled directly to the diseased organ.
Closely allied to tonsilar troubles
is the popular disease known as
adenoids. When people speak OF
adenoids they refer to disease Of
the little tonsil organ located be-
| tween the nose and throat where
they Join. This organ is sometimes
called the third tonsil, and like the
! other two it is supposed to shrink
! early in life. When 1t iails 70
atrophy and gets larger instead oy
, disease, breathing is obstrueted and
considerable discomfort may ne
suit. This third tonsil may swell
to a bigger size than the tonsils oil
| the throat but it does not harbof IN
i lection to the same extent, ana 50
it is not so gerenally a source Oh
trouble as the regular tonsils are
With all this depressing informa-
ton ON the frailty of man anyone
| would naturally inquire how 10
keep the tonsils, all three OF tnem'
| in their proper, inconspicuoas
place. About all that can be done
it is said. is to avoid colds. Wnen
colds occur and the tonsils are IN
famed they become larger than De-
fore and they are very aptSnot 10
~h-ink afterwards to their foriaer
size