Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-01
Removal
Of TonsiIs
Discussed
No Fixed Rule Governs
Action, Doctor Finds

| w NV 'NSO ~ 80
| Action. Doctor Finds
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING
THE time Of year Is rapidly
l. approaching when the sum-
mer vacation will rob Johnny
and Mabel of their last excuse
for not having their tonsils out.
Arguments 90 pro and con
about whether tonsils should be
removed and am frequently
dragged into these discussions.
but / have no fixed opinion on
the subject.
The only thing I am certain
OF Is that no general rule can
be laid down and each case must
be judged on its own merits.
I do not believe that all tonsils
should be removed from children
before they reach the age of 10
years, although L have heard
this opinion expressed.
Nor do I believe that tonsils
should not be removed at all.
Plenty of people get along in
perfect health without tonsils.
IN FACT, our knowledge about
Il the function of the tonsils Is
very limited.
/ have just been trying to
find out In several textbooks on
the nose and throat what the
functions of the tonsils are and
every one concludes by agreeing
that they do not know.
Only a few facts stand out.
One Is that the tonsils are
lymph-like structures related to
the lymphatics elsewhere in the
body, that they form a ring of
tissue all around the back Of
the throat.
The other members Of the
ring are the adenoids, the lingual
tonsils at the base OF the tongue.
Another positive fact is that
the -tonsils are very large in
infancy and childhood and tend
TO become SIN aller as time
goes on.
Therefore. tonsils which would
be perfectly normal in a child Of
2 or 3 years are definitely abb
normal in q person of Is 10 20.
Large .tonsils in later years
usually mean that they have be-
come the seat of infection. In
that case they should be re-
moved.
ONES tonsils certainly serve
" some function In stopping
infections on the outposts of the
body and naturally they are
subject to attacks of acute ton
sillitis which may turn into
chronic infection so that at the
age Of 10 TO Is years II Is prob
able that the tonsil has outlived
its usefulness and Is doing more
harm as a harbor of infection
than good.
II is valuable to consider why
tonsiis were taken out and what
results occurred.
According TO some rece I
figures, the commonest causes
for removal were:
Frequent colds One year
after operation 90 per cent of
these cases were improved.
Frequent sore throat - One
year after operation 90 per cent
OF these patients were improved.
Mouth breathing - One year
after operation 80 per cent Of
these were improved.
Enlarged glands In the neck
Improvement occurred in about
40 per cent Of cases.
Ear trouble-Improvement oc-
CURED in about so per cent Of
cases.
Rheumatism Improvement
occurred in less than per cent
of cases in children and in about
30 per cent in the joint pains OF
adults.
Such are the facts and the ele-
ments on which one has 10 de-
eide whether or not tonsils
should be removed.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
A. c. W.-Can one use too
much salt in the diet? / have
been told that salt causes
hardening of the arteries Of
so years or more.
Answer-This is an old super
stition that has been given up
by all scientific nutritionists.
Salt is restricted in the diet
only when the kidneys will not
eliminate II.
The body needs certain
amount of salt every day and
nature provides for throwing off
the excess. 1t does not cause