The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-19
THE FUNCTION or THR TONgFf.s

NaNSN ANAN~N@AN8AA
 Street, Chicago, m.
 THE FUNCTION or THE T0NgII.s
 Standard textbooks of physiology give no information concerning the function of the tonsils,
 No one seems to know much about it.
 I have a notion that the tonsils guard against systematic invasion by the germs of the respiratory in- fecttons. When certain of these germs do invade the general system the results are serious--acute in- fectious arthritis or rheumatic fever, perhaps with vas~ular disease or en- docarditis inflammation Of heart 1ning) as Q grave complication. Then, too, 1t is an established prin- ciple of practice than an estab- lished area of infection or bacterial activity in the tissue of the tonsiI may sooner or later become the base or source of some "focal infection" such as chronic arthritis,
 In my opinion the healthy tonsils of Q child vary in size and promi- nence in different seasons of the year. Some spring, Q child's tonSils usually look large and-sofry to say tempting to the ruthless surgeon. But if you ask me, folks, wouldn't consider removal of Q child's tonsils just because they are large in the late winter and early spring. I'd mark time till pleasant weather comes, and see what 0 little open air life and, of course, as much ex- posture of naked skin to sunlight or skyshine as possible, will do for the chlld's enlarged tonsils.
 There are only two good and sufficient reasons for removal of en- larged tonsils in childhood or early youth, in my judgment. One is the occurrence of any sort of ear trouble or any degree of deafness-and even in such cases the middle ear disease or the deafness is often best treated by few x-ray exposures, to bring about shrinkage of the hy- pertrophied or overgrown tonsils and adenoids. The other reason for removal of enlarged tonsils is ob- vious interference with breathing, either during the day or during sleep.
 Removal of tonsils, whether by the Old Spanish method--guillo-' tine and Snare--or by dissection. Is one of the crIdest procedures coun. tenanced by modern surgery--f think.
 There are exceptional cases in which the most radical surgical re- moval of the tonSilS is absolutely necessary. But in the general run of cases of infected tonSils I am sure that diathermy or electrosSur- gical treatment, in skilled hands. gives at least as good Q therapeutic effect as and certainly Is safer than the Old Spanish custom.
 Mind, say "in skilled hands" Not every doctor who has a dia-, thermy machine is qualified to give such treatment. Not by a long shot. You chose your doctor at your own peril. Tn doing so, remember this fundamental rule: A good doctor gets new patients through the rec concentrations of his old patients. A quack naturally has to employ other means of getting new busi- ness.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS People Like It
 Went to a doctor here and he strapped my foot and said my arch was down, but that only helped couple of days, so I went to a foot same thing only I'd have to come twice week for electric treatments. I had sixteen treatments but 1t Is even worse. q. S,)
 Answer-So the charlatanl was going to raise the arch by electric power? That's what people Ike, about quacks. They humbug people, so pleasantly. I advise you to te-s turn to your own doctor-or if you can't have confidence in your own doctor, ask him to refer you to specialist who has good standing
 What! Makes Her Own Bread?
 My wife makes our bread with, flour milled out of wheat grew last, summer-the famous Regent brand wheat which gave, according to Dr. Newman, Dominion cerealist, l280 international units of thiamin (vita- min BD, per pound, the highest coneent so far. (E. D. .s
 Answer-If the finished bread contains half that much vitamin B it Is fine for nutrition. Average diet of Americans today yields about 50 international units vitarnin Bl; average diet of people 100 years ago, when whole wheat bread was stand ard. yielded about 600 international units of Bl.
 Eye Wash
 Is a solution of boric acid in water all right for washing the eyes when 1t has stood for year or more? a.
 (Mrs. G. J. J0 ~
 Answer-No. Boric acid is cheap, so it is always best to make up a ~ fresh solution when you want to use 1t as eye wash-dissolve two heaping teasponofuls boric acid in a pint of boiled rain water, distilled water, snow water or tap water, Agreably warm it is non-ifritating-s wash or eyedrops. z, Copyright, 1043, John F. bile Col ' to save electric power. Now the WIPE says that it will not be neces- :.