Show TONSILS AND THEIR ILLS The sore throat season is approaching approaching approaching ap ap- ap- ap when tonsils will wUl again be bo bea boa a popular topic of conversation Scarcely an adult but waxes Intense over a 13 general discussion of or lon tonsils Everybody has them or has had an exciting time getting rid of them and If it by chance a up grown-up hasn't personally a performing set of tonsils tonsils ton tun- sils thre are always the adventures adventures adventures ad ad- ventures of the children not to speak of their adenoids Yet et with all the interest in this subject comparatively few Cew people can tell what tonsils are for and why mankind Is so pestered by th tham thamA m mA A throat specialist of or Washing ton City Dr W. W V. V A A. A Wells Veils explained some of the modern ideas on this subject the other day It ma may be a shock to some people to learn that we really should practically dispense with tonsils by the age df bf 15 years At the age of or about 12 In girls and about 15 in boys the tonsils should be shrunken almost to atrophy says Dr Wells If H you have had no troubles since the probabilities probabilities proba proba- are that yours naturally faded out of ot your life Ufe at the proper time If It this is the case you should have practically no trouble for the rest of ot your days This was natures nature's plan as modern specialists understand understand under under- stand It The tonsils serve their purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose in infancy and childhood and then they unobtrusively shrink There are several theories regard- regard Ig the function of the tonsils The belief that they in any way affect digestion or the singing voice Is no longer generally held Dr Wells VeIls says that the most plausible theory Is that they make white blood cells in your children At Ac about the age bf Of 10 or 12 the bone marrow which makes the same sort of or cells begins begins begins be be- gins to be active and the tonsils tonsils' are areno areno areno no longer needed for this purpose It is a sad fact however that most people do not retire their tonsils tonsils ton ton- sils sUs at the critical stage If U the tonsils are not altogether healthy at atthe atthe the time when shrinkage would normally normally normally nor nor- mally occur the diseased organs flourish and on a very little encouragement encouragement encouragement from germs at any time become become become be be- come sore and swollen How Tho The Starts Trouble starts somewhat like this The tonsils is a capsule containing a mass of ot soft sort and spongy tissue known as lymphoid In this tissue are a number of crypts and depres depres- Germ colonies lodge in these recesses and diseased matter and pus form These produce poisons and the poisons spread through the system In In recent years diseased teeth have been a popular explanation tion of all manner of ailments Now the throat specialist offers the theory that nine cases out of ten of rheumatism rheumatism rheumatism rheu rheu- and neuritis can be traced to diseased tonsils Heart trouble kidney high blood pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure and even hardened arteries have been connected with tonsils If It the natural atrophy fails tails to take place in adolescence it is generally generally generally gener gener- ally deferred until old age Then the soft lymphoid tissue is gradually gradual gradual- ly replaced by hard fibrous tissue One of the most recent uses of ra radium radium radium ra- ra to be developed to a practical s stage age is in connection with tonsils I Radium is now being used successfully successfully successfully success success- fully to cause the thel atrophy that nature nature na na- na- na I ture falls fails to accomplish Dr Wells I Iwho who recently publishes published a report on Contin Continued ed to page 8 TONSILS AND ILLS Continued from P Page ge One this subject says that radium does In Jn Ina a few tew hours what nature takes years to do Two radium needles are Inserted Inserted inserted In In- In a diseased tonsil for tor a certain certain certain tain length of ot time an ana an after arter two or three of ot these treatments the to organ organ organ or or- gan Is shrunk to Its normal fleance The needles used are about one inch long and about the thickness oi 01 oia a phonograph needle At the blun bluntt end Is an eye In which silk sUk Is threaded thread thread- ed ud so that the needle can be readily withdrawn Small as the these o tool tool- worth of radium Tho precious sub substance substance stance Is in the center of or the needle and the exterior composed of ot platinum num and Iridium forms forces a screen through which h the rays are arc filtered No matter how often or how little the needles are used one half of or heir power will not bo be gone gono for 1500 1600 years Indiums Radium's Mysterious l Rays One strange fact about radium IE that it has lias a selective effect letting some cells alone and changing the character of others It has been found that the tissue of the tonsils Is extremely sensitive to radium Colonies of ot disease germs disappear a and Hl the soft sort tissue Is absorbed and shriveled leaving only firm health tissue behind Dr Wells VeIls does not advocate his method of radium r treatment as a a. substitute for removal of tonsils b surgical operation Radium Is foi forr those who cannot stand an opera opera- tion It has the advantages of being painless and of not Being weaken weaken- ing It involves no Ho hospital Illness Nevertheless it Is not for the aver average average average age person It is expensive sources of radium radium ra- ra E Even wen though neW from time to are arc discovered ot of Its ss is little prospect there time Inexpensive mate material becoming an and extracting it itIs ot of mining cost The Theis using it are Is large and doctors specialists who nave have evolved mainly studY long by treatment met methods hods of and ind large Investment Still the tuo cost cosi cosio of radium is dropping Where once o it is now nowra milligram It t sold BOW for 1110 a quoted at around 70 also been used as a has ray X-ray ra treatment for diseased tonsils with disadvantage is varying varying success Th The to the must penetrate t that the tho rays tonsils from the outside of the neck whereas radium can be applied directly directly di directly di- di to the diseased organ Closely allied to troubles disease known as as' ad ad- ad Is the popular of adenoids adenoids adenoids ade ade- When people speak they refer to a disease of ot the little tonsil organ located between bet the nose and throat where they Join This organ ds Is sometimes called the third tonsil and like the other two it Is supposed to shrink early in life Ufe When it falls fails to atrophy phY and gets arger larger instead by disease breathing breathings breathing's discomfort dis discomfort dis- dis s 's s 8 obstructed and considerable comfort may result This third tonsil tonsil tonsil ton ton- sil may swell to a bigger size than the tonsils of the throat but It does not harbor Infection to the same ex- ex ent tent and so it is not so generally a a source of trouble as the regular tonsils tonsils tonsils ton ton- sils are With all this depressing information Information tion on the frailty of man anyone would naturally inquire how to keep the tonsils all three of them In their proper inconspicuous place About all that can be done it is said ts is to avoid colds When dolds colds occur and the tonsils are Inflamed they become larger than thui before and they are very apt not to shrink afterwards after atter- wards ards to their former size |