The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-04-30
By WILLIAM BRADY, MD.

Aside from the questionable value of tonSillectomy tremoval of ton- slls) for prevention or treatment Of acute infiamrnatory rheumatic fe- yer, acute infectious arthritiO or chronic arthritiS (chronic rheun1a- tism), the main objection--perhaps should say my main objection to this serious major operation Is that 1t involves risk of life.
 Mind, now, doctors and folks, l do not say tonsillectomy is never juStiflable. I could name several conditions which, in my opinion, demand immediate tonSillectorny but l prefer not to mention such condition here.
 I do say that if had enlarged or presumably infected tonsils I'd never even consider submitting to tonsillectomy, not If l could have the services of a doctor skilled in diathermy (electro- coasulation). or, If this treatment were not available, then Q simple tonSilotomy-clipping or slicing of the infected portion of the tonSil, under local anesthesia, in the doctors office-a procedure no more formidable or dangerous than extraction of e tooth.
 On several occasions heretofore l have applied to tonsillectony what I believed to be 6 fair descriptive term. Tn applying the term had in mind only the hope Of saving people from what believe an un- warranted risk.
 Quoted with approval in Dr. AL bert D. Kaiser's book "Children'S s TonSils In and Out" Lippincott, '32) Is a conclusion expressed by Poynton in the British Medical Journal:
 Even the greatest enthusiasts cannot pretend that the opera ton" (tonSillectomy) lis either a certain cure for rheumatism or an infallible prophylactic measure and they will have to confess that in many instances tonsillectomy has no influence whatsoever on the course of the disease" To that Dr. Kaiser adds his own conclusion, based on his studies of many thousands of Rochester, N, Y. school children over a period of ten years:
 There is, however, sufficient proof of the ultimate relationship between throat infection and rheumatism to warrant tonsillec- tony in many cases. At present there is no evidence that children without tonsils escape rheuma- tism in sufficient numbers to jus tify universal tonsihectomy."
 I'm not sure what universal ton- sillectomy" means, but as I see it, there is no evidence to justify ton sillectomy, period.
 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
 DampnesS and Comfort
 Is place healthy to live in where the water rises once in a while. The water probably seeps,in through the sea wall built around the city some years ago. (K. Al
 AnSwer-So far as water or damp ness is concerned it has nothing to do with health-if 1t is fairly com AOA I<hblC bO lANC bAlCAC, OOAl SANC ~ another thought. So war as the risk of spread of infection by polluted water is concerned-that is for your local health department to advise the public.
 Special Service Discontinued
 Before the war tBrady) had compiled a fairly comprehensive directory of physicians skilled in this or that special method and I en- deavored to refer readers who in- quired about such treatment to phy- sicians in or near their own com munitiGs. The war broke all that up. and to date the better physi- clans (who went into military serv- ice) have now become relocated in sufficient numbers. so ass unable to refer readers to physicians or specialists. IT or rhea 1flnd 1t pos sible to resume this serv.ce I'll an- nounce it here.