The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-06-23

Again, if I had chronic arthritis and presumably infected tonsils, I'd carefully sidestep surgical tonsillec- tony. Instead I'd have the tonsilH extirpated with diathernny, or at least sufficient tro-coagulation to sterilize or disinfect the septic focus That is all the treatment such Q condition requires. There is no sci- entific or practical reason why we i should attempt to remove every bit of tonsil tissue; on the contrary, 1t is good medicine and good sur- gery and good sense to leave as much normal tonsil tissue in the throat as may be possible. I am convinced that diatherrny treatment, in competent hands, gives results at least as good as the results obtained from surgical tonsillcctorny, in cor1- petent hands, in any case of chronic infections arthritis where the septic focus Is in the tonsil. And today no honest physician can deny that dia- therny extirpation of infected ton- sis is Q safer procedure than stand- ard surgical tonsillectony.
 Here and there well meaning phy- Sicians still withhold their approval of electro-c o-coagulation of infected tonsils, even in cases where surgical tongillectomy is too great Q risk. No matter how eminent these good doc. tors may be in their own commun- ity, they are grievously wrong about this and 1t is only fair that the pub- lie should be warned against them.
 The acknowledged representative of the great American Medical as- sociation, writing in the official or. gan of the association, asserted that the diathermy method of eXtirpating tonsils should be avoided as one would avoid mad dog, and ih the next paragraph conceded that 1t is Q boon in cases where surgical ton- sillectomy would be too great Q riSkl That's what ais the American Med- icai association. The scheming poli- ticians who have control approve or accept nothing unless they have first say about 1t. But diatherrny extir- patton of the tonsilg is here to stay, and they may as well pipe down and try to adjust themselves to the mod- ern trend. Or better, hire new man who will give more of his time to the job of doing their thinking for them, and less to pushing him. self and his various sidelines.
 Tn a gratifying proportion of cases, patients with chronic infectious arthritis experience marked relief after the second or third electro-co- agulation of the infected tonsil. This, I submit, is enough evidence to convince any reasonable open mind of the soundness of the focal infection principle and the efficacy of the modern method of treating this condition.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 CalIus
 Some time ago you gave remedy to soften and remove callus from the ball of the foot. I have them on both soles and they give me a lot of trouble (Mrs. E. J. E.)
 Answer-Use the familiar corn remedy-paint the callus with a so- lution of 30 grains of salicylic acid in one-half ounce of flexible col- lodion (salicylated collodion, it is sometimes called). Send stamped envelope bearing your address for monograph on Care of the Feet Improper footwear is the chief cause of such trouble.
 Asthma and Hay Fever
 Have been taking calcium lactatc for asthma and hay fever and have been so wonderfully benefited by it that I can't thank you enough Ben Told now warns me it may cause my joints to calcify if take 1t any more .. c. L. A
 Answer-There is no ground for that notion. Glad to send any rsad- CT who provides 3-ct-stamped en- velope bearing his address. mon- ographs on Asthma and Hay Fever