Malaria as a Cure for Cancer.

According to the Medical Record of December 7, 1901, in which there is editorial reference to a short article by F. Loeffler in Deutsche Medicinische Wochenschrift, October 17, 1901, there is some reason for hoping that an attack of malaria may cure cancer. Personally, we have had no experience in the contest of these two diseases for supremacy in the same individual, but would be glad to hear from others who have. The fact is The fact is mentioned that a Polish observer, Truka de Krzowitz, as early as 1775, claimed to have seen cases of cancer cured by the supervention of an attack of malaria. Should this be true, we would have discovered a most simple remedy for so horrible and increasingly prevalent a disIt would be an exceedingly simple matter to inoculate a person with malaria, either with the blood of one already suffering with the disease, or by means of certain forms of mosquitos having the infectious element, and which could be obtained from one of the numerous laboratories now experimenting with this insect. We are satisfied, however, to abide by the clinical studies of a combination of the two diseases, and would be glad to have reports upon this subject from our readers. It is a most important subject for collective investigation, and we hope to have some reports upon it soon.

ease.

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you at the bedside and in the consulting office. We will certainly make each single issue worth more to you than the trifling sum asked for the year's subscription— only one dollar. You should take at least four or more good, independent medical journals. It is not good professional or business policy to depend upon the flow of free sample copies of advertising or proprietary sheets for your medical reading. Come with us now, and not only send your subscription, but contribute your practical facts for our columns.

Treatment of Abortion.

Among the many most excellent articles in this issue, we desire to call especial attention to the article on "Abortion" by that veteran of half a century's experience, the venerable Dr. John Herbert Claiborne, of Virginia, who is so well known throughout the country, and especially in the Southern States. It is replete with the wisdom of thorough study and ripe experience.

To Send Coin by Mail.

While this is not a good practice, as drafts, checks, post-office money-orders, express money-orders, bills, or postage stamps are much safer, yet it is sometimes absolutely necessary to send silver

change by mail. In such cases, if a coincase be not at hand, the coin can be fastened to a piece of cardboard or pasteboard by crossed strips of adhesive plaster. Another method is to place the coin between two scraps of paper, to protect it from direct contact with the paste, then paste two pieces of cardboard together, including the coin in about the center between them. Who will suggest a better home-made coin-sender?

Bills or stamps can be sent by pasting to a piece of cardboard a dispensing enin the regular envelope. While money velope containing the funds, enclosing all is always at sender's risk, yet losses sel dom occur.

Original Articles.

The following articles have been written exclusively to the editor and readers of this journal. Other journals republishing any of these articles will, as a matter of professional courtesy, kindly give credit as follows:-Medical Council, Philadelphia.

Radical Cure for Tonsillitis.

By J. P. LINDSEY, M. D., Owenton, Ky.

This paper is not intended as a discussion on tonsillitis in its acute form, but rather a discussion on the radical and permanent cure of this most troublesome disease.

Acute tonsillitis is a manifestation of a diseased condition of the tonsils in which hypertrophy exists in greater or less degree and from the follicles of which during the intervals of attacks is constantly exuding a cheesy excretion, which contains germs, pus cells and other deleterious matter, the swallowing of which is detrimental to health, causing dyspepsia, constipation and other troubles too numerous to mention.

The patient who has had one attack of acute tonsillitis may look for another at any time, as one never knows when the next acute exacerbation of the chronic tonsillar inflammation is to manifest itself. Whenever an acute inflammation causes the opening of one or more follicles to become closed there follows a retention of the cheesy material referred to, and the whole tonsil is soon involved, and often both tonsils are affected. Resulting from this inflammatory action we may have an escape of the pent-up excretion from the follicles, constituting follicular tonsillitis, or it may escape backward into the cellular tissue at the base of or around the tonsil, when it causes a peri-tonsillar abscess called quinsy.

During the acute attack the treatment consists of the administration of calomel, aconite, salol, phenacetine and other antiphlogistic remedies. The local treatment consists of the application of cold to the throat externally and the sucking of pellets of ice. The use of gargles is questionable on account of the great pain caused. Cleansing the throat is much

easier accomplished by the use of the spray, in which may be used an alkaline solution containing soda bicarb., soda biborate, glycerine and rosewater or listerine. Peroxide of hydrogen is also very useful as a cleansing agent. The old mixture of tr. iron, pot. chlorate and glycerine is useful as the disease begins to subside.

Tonsillotomy.-There has been much discussion as to the physiological use of the tonsils, but the opinions offered by most investigators are directly opposed to each other on this subject. Many are the objections of the laity to having the tonsils removed. Some parents object on the ground that they had theirs removed in their youth and received no benefit. The probability is that they had adenoid growths in the naso-pharynx, which should have been removed at the same time. They also object on the ground that the tonsils are a protection from lung troubles. I cannot see how a diseased tonsil, affords any protection, as all the air must pass over the diseased tissue. Objection is urged on the part of singers for the alleged reason that impairment of the voice may result; whereas the opposite effect may reasonably be expected. When the large mass, which is practically a foreign body, is removed the the pressure is also removed from the pharyngeal muscles, consequently they can be brought in use again, and the extra strain is also taken off the laryngeal muscles and vocal cords.

After looking over all the literature at my command, and talking the subject over with several of Chicago's most prominent laryngologists, I have found that in no case after their thorough removal has the patient seemed to suffer any harm or inconvenience whatever, beyond the annoyance of the operation, but on the contrary has been perfectly free from further attacks of acute tonsillitis, and in all cases the general health has shown improvement. The removal of a diseased tonsil is as clearly indicated as the removal of a diseased appendix or a pyosalpinx.

Varieties of Enlarged Tonsils.-There are two forms of hypertrophy spoken

of by Bosworth, the hypertrophic form and the hyperplastic form, the former term being used to designate the variety of enlarged tonsils most frequently met with in early childhood, and which consists of an abnormal increase of all the normal elements which go to make up the organ, while the latter term is used to designate that form of hypertrophy which is ordinarily met with at a later period than early childhood, and composed very largely of connective tissue. While both forms may constitute large tumors which project beyond the faucial pillars and often touch each other, the hyperplastic form is often so small as to be overlooked unless the patient is made to gag in order to bring them into view. This form is also spoken of as the "submerged tonsil" and the "small diseased tonsil." They may be of small size and still cause a great deal of trouble. Acute attacks may come on as long as this diseased condition exists wholly or in part. While not considered dangerous to life, it is a fact that several deaths from edema of the glottis have been reported as following the suppurative form.

Successful Treatment.-For all these conditions depending upon enlargement or degeneration of the tonsils a positive cure can be promised. No other condition of like importance is any more amenable to absolute cure than is this condition, and the only rational treatment is surgical, viz: the total removal of all hypertrophied or diseased tissue. In children tonsillotomy with the tonsillotome is usually sufficient, though there is often a base left which should subsequently be destroyed by electro-cautery puncture.

In later years, when the tonsils found are of the variety described as the "submerged tonsil" or "small diseased tonsil," the only treatment which affords a perfect and permanent cure is tonsillotomy by the method devised by Dr. Pynchon, of Chicago, called electro-cautery dissection. The tonsil is anasthetized by rubbing a twenty per cent. solution of cocaine over the mucous membrane and then injecting a one per cent.solution of holocain into the tonsillar tissues. The

advantage of the holocain solution is that the anesthesia begins at once and the danger of poisoning is much less than with cocaine. As soon as the solution of holocain has been injected the work of dissection can be begun. The tonsil is seized with suitable forceps and dissected out with the electrode at a white heat. The advantage of this operation is that there is no hemorrhage, as there is no stump left to give further trouble. If the dissection is made too rapidly, hemorrhage will result. After the tonsil has been dissected out the cavity between the pillars is swabbed with a twenty-five per cent. solution of nitrate of silver. The after-treatment consists of daily massage with hydrogen peroxide (Oakland) on a cotton-wound applicator. The wound is usually healed in a week, when the other tonsil may be dissected out in the same manner. No operation is complete in children unless an examination is made for adenoids; and, if found, removed at the same sitting, as general anesthesia is usually necessary in children.

I have found that when the tonsils are diseased they are diseased to their base, and, if any affected tissue is left, further attacks of acute tonsillitis may be expected. The proper time for the operation is when the patient's throat is at its best. It will often be found that the tonsils are at fault, and the cause of a train of troubles, without the patient's suspecting it, and without any history of acute inflammatory action. A chronic laryngitis will often subside after thorough removal of the "small" or "submerged" tonsil.

Some Articles Wanted.

We believe THE CONNCIL has the finest staff of volunteer contributors in the United States, being all physicians in active practice. However, there is always a warm welcome for a new addition to the number coming with practical information in terse form to offer.

We have not yet had a volunteer on the repair of the perineum in country practice, as requested in February number. We also want a good article upon the later methods of treating endometritis, with its usual accompanying complications. We also desire articles for our May and June numbers on the best recent treatment of summer gastrointestinal disorders of both children and adults, and also practical observations on the extermination of mosquitoes.