The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-27
WHEN OLD FASHIONED ToNsILLECTOMY
 IS UNJUSTIETED

Young lad died suddenly while undergoing tonsilIectomy by one of the pest throat surgeons in the community, in the finest hospital.
 Embosm. That means a particle of clot or possibly n drOpiet of fat. entered the blood stream and lodged in some small artery, per- haps q main artery of the brain or the heart or the lung; the artery becomes plugged and the circulation shut off.
 Such an accident or complication may oc- cur from any wound, accidental. intentional. surgical. obstetrical, or even from fracture or bone without any surface wound. It is no re- fection on the skill or ability of the doctor nor on the method of treatment employed.
 In htis instance however, the tragic outcome was reflection upon the good faith of the medical profession of the entire community as well as the good faith of the doctor or doc- tors in the case.
 1t appears that the youth had heard about a new method of removing tonsils by some kind of surgical gadgct, as he called It, and he had asked his family physician what about lt
 later he had put the same question to the throat surgeon to whom the family physician referred hm. Both gentlemen cordially agreed that the new fanslcd method the lad asked about Is "dabgerous and satisfactory, not yet
 beyond the experimental stage" Thus reassured the boy dismissed the Idea from his mind and checrfully laid himself on tho operating tnblc--to de.
 Say the death Of this young man i8 q grave reflection on the good faith or the medical pro- fcslion as Il whole. the profession In the copl- munity where the tragedy occurred. Further charge that the family physician and the throat surgeon who advised the patient that the dia- thernly or eleetro-surgical method of tonSillcc- tony is dangerous and unsatisfactory and not yet beyond the experimental stage deceived the patient and committed gross malpractice. In many thousands of cases the diathcrmy or clectro-surgical method of removing topsilS has proved both safe and satisfactory, and the pis stefan who dares to deny this when his pa- aent puts the question bctrays the most sacred responsibility Of his profession. If either method is to be called dangerous surely it is the standard surgical method with snare and guillotne, or scissors or scaipel or nnscr dissection or cnucleaton. The dangers arc those 0t any major operation, plus the
 danger of hcmorfhngc, cmbolism, lung abccss @tc,
 Unfortunately few doctors have the skill and special tact necessary 10 use the modern meth cd in the case of child under six years If age. But for all others. in my opinion the diathesny
 or electro surgical method deserves first ccn-
 sideratlon. for every reason that applies In ac'
 ~ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Boiled Egg
 Is a boiled egg bad for children every niOYn-
 ing? began feeding egg for brcakfast when
 they were seven moniI,s old, and now they are 1 t-2 and ! i-2 years old. tMrs VI. K.)
 Answer--No, 1t is excellent food for them. Dose Of Salts Please adyisc WIsat yOu mean by q dose of Epsom salts tn settling tlic bile question. What | lA. Al
 Anawcr--I do not advise 1t. It doesn't settle any bile question that know Of, The average dose of Epsom salts fmagpesum suiphate) as 4 cathartic is from two teasp0onfuls to two ta-
 bicspoonfuis, taken in not more than one-haif | glassful of water.
 OrtjsOdOntia Don, 10 t-2. has irregular teeth, especially tw0 canIncs niispiaced. Our dentist said tc
 wIH have tD go fO specialist and have clamps
 applied to bring fi,c teeth back ln place and ' wiil fakc twO OP tiFec years Tlsis would cost 1 more tiaU se nrc tt present. lF T. Ill Ss | Answer--lt is just Yankee custom to have Isn,h work done by f'apeci1ijgt" Any c0inpc-
 tent dentist should bc able to carry out the en- ] tire treatment at . reasonable cost