As to the anatomy and pathology of the tonsils, I will only say that the normal throat has nothing of the kind in it. And as to treatment, nothing but removal of the diseased glandular mass gives the desired relief.
Many plans are in use to accomplish this. The guillotine will slice off the tonsil, and in children, if the claws which complicate it are removed and suitable forceps used in their place, the guillotine is fairly satisfactory, but hemorrhage is free. Though not dangerous in children, this hemorrhage is troublesome, because it interferes with the simultaneous removal of the pharyngeal tonsil, which is almost invariably present. In the adult, however, this hemorrhage is a serious matter, and has been fatal in many cases. To avoid this Burnett and other authors recommend that a snare be used—the growth being cut through gradually—several hours being consumed in the operation. The method