The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-12-02
THE OLD GUARD STILL HOLDS OUT


 Here is bit of droll humor from the Oct number of the Jour. American Medical Asso- ciation A nose, throat and ear specialist, re- viewing the literature of his speciality for the last five years, says this:
 "Roentgen treatment of adenoid and lynn phatic tissue, in association with surgery, is being more widely used, but the much vaunted of X-rays and radium for the destruction of tonsils has fallen almost into disuse
 '"The use of the endothermic knife or needle (this is probably quaint way of say ing diathermy. electro -coagulaton) for the destruction of portions of the tonsils (get the portions" folks), by those who either too timid to remove the tonsil surgically or who wish to play to that element of the pro- fession or laity who want something new, has done infinite harm by sealing infection in the tissues, for in most cases the tonsil Is not removed or completely destroyed"
 Well, I, for one, am rather timid about un- surgical removal of the tonsils. I'd druther take my chances in the chair of the doctor who plays to the element of the profession or laity that wants something different. Note how this droll humorist of the far Rockies grants the x-ray proper place in the treatment of adenoids and enlarged tonss and charitaby refrains from implying that the doc tor who resorts to such treatment is a coward. Note how the little man gets in a foul blow at electro surgery after the bell has sounded when he repeats that islander about diathermy or electro -coagulation 'sealing infection in the tissues' he Is merely playing parrot under the upraised finger of another little man who 
 whose views on this modern method of dealing with infected tonsils have perforce undergone a change in the past few months.
 It now becomes necessary to cite once more the undisputed observations of Dr Albert S.. Welch of Kansas City, who report was pub lished in the same medical journal Dec "A, 1927. Dr Welch treated the profession to no whims fancies from his own inner con sciousness He merely made careful pathol- ogical examination of 1000 tonsils after their removal by the ordinary guillotine and snare method, and he found these tonsils mostly free from any evidence of disease. Here are his pre- else figures.
 930 of the 900 tonsils were not seriously af- fected.
 22O of the 1000 tonsils showed scars, which may be considered evidence of previous infec- tion that has cleared up.
 Large pieces of throat muscle were attached to 139 of the 1000 tonsls removed by guillo- tine and snare.
 rerson to feel bit timid about having his ton sils chopped snared out, or dissected, or enucleated or whatever fancy name the crude surgeon please to apply to his bungling work
 call 1t crude and bungling because that is the right description for the brutal operation known as tonsillectomy, when one has an op- portuntty to compare 1t, and its effects or re- suits, with the diathermy extirpation of the tonsils.
 Notwithstanding the theoretical objections these 22-caliber specialists may conjure up, the modern method of treating infected tonsls has NO MORTALITY RATE, where as the old Spanish custom is the direct cause of not a few deaths and that's why we radical docs feel too timid to submit to the bloody method our selves.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 'Dissolving' Tonsils
 woman told i'm your column about using alum water to dissolve the tOnsils of her daughter. (Numcrous Inquircrs.)
 Answer-Yes, but I tried to explain the woman's notion is a silly one. Of course noth- ing of the sort can dissolve" or remove or even shrink tonsils. The tonsils of children vary greatly in size from time to tmie, from season to season, and this is not tobe confused with the effects of any remedy you may happen to have used.
 Sure Kin
 We arc going to be eaten out of house oI home unless WIG do something. What sure cure or rather sure Kill do you suggest for mice! ~. E. S.)
 Answer-A cat.
 Everybody But the Doctor
 Everybody tells me my recently disiOcated shoulder will never bc the same. If this is true 1t will handicap me in pursuing various kinds of sport. (P. w. A.)
 Answer-Do not consult everybody. Youi physician will give you the best advice. Boneset Tea Old.timcrs hcrcnbOuts still swear by thor. OugllwOrt (bOnesef) tea as Q stomach and iivcI corrective. Has 1t any rcai medicinal value? Il it true that the medical rofcssion has dropped from the materia mctiica many Oid.fasifi0net herb remedies that may have considerable ther apcutic value? (W. A. D. Answer Boneset, thoroughwort, Jndiaf sage. eupatorIum, in large doses nets as aT emetic or n cathartic do not believe it hai any real value in medicine. though of coural large drinks of hot boneset tea. or anything else in the way of hot liquid, will help to pro duce precipitation.