Quinsy is abscess, a "gathering” in
the tissues of the throat near or
around the tonsil. Like a collection
of pus (matter) anywhere else, the
sooner it is drained the better. "Lanc
ing” sometimes fails to give any re
lief because the doctor fails to find
the abscess. I have never had quinsy,
but from the great suffering which
attends the attack I judge I should
prefer to have my throat lanced
again and again rather than endure
such prolonged suffering as the vic
tim of this disease must endure if
he waits for the abscess to “break.”
Lancing is no fun—that is. for the
subject; for that matter, it isn’t a
task the doctor revels in, either. Yet
I can think of no other medical or
surgical service a doctor can render
which gives so much relief as this—
as a rule.
In many instances the removal of
the tonsils does put an end to the
annual bout with quinsy. The nest
or depot of the infection, the flaring
up of which brings on the attack of
quinsy, is probably within the tonsil
in most cases. Complete removal of
the infected tonsil, therefore, ends the
trouble.
A man aged 21 says his tonsils have
been infected for over five months
and asks whether operation is the
only cure. He has "been told” by
several friends that it is dangerous
to have tonsils removed, because the
tonsils absorb poisons in certain dis
eases, such as diphtheria.
