BETTER WITHOUT TONSILS

Evening Star, Issue 19943, 13 August 1928, Page 14

BETTER WITHOUT TONSILS

During Die years 1919 to 1321 tonsils were removed from about 15,000 school children in special clinics in Rochester, I\ow York, where a 1 complete history and record of the physical, condition were kept on file. About 5,000 children had their tonsils removed by their own physicians. These children have been studied regularly, since that date, and their condition compared with tho records of 29,000 children whose tonsils were not removed. Dr Albert D.’ Kaiser has recently, reviewed, the records concerning them. Apparently, says the ‘ Scientific American.’ a child whose tonsils have been removed has a much better chance. to escape rheumatic infection than tho one whoso tonsils have not been removed, provided the child was not affected before removal of tho tonsils. Scarlet fever occurred in 7.6 per cent, of the children whoso tonsils were removed, and in 16 per cent, of those whoso tonsils were not removed. Rheumatic heart disease was found in 450 out of the 20,000 children whoso tonsils were removed, and in 817 of tho 28,000 children, whoso. tonsils were not removed. A careful analysis of 478 cases of heart disease showed that, in 83 per cent., tho condition developed be< fore removal of tho tonsils, and in 11 per cent, after removal of tho tonsils. The evidence seems certain that infected tonsils are a factor in the causation of rheumatism, scarlet fover, and chronic heart disease.