PART I. I have attempted to collect some
information regarding the anatomy, comparative anatomy
and the much discussed problem of the physiology of
the tonsils.(b) Fifty extirpated tonsils were examined
microscopically and an attempt made to
summarise the pathology of chronic tonsillitis to exulain how the tonsil may act
as a focus of infection.(c) Bacteriology of the tonsils has been worked
out. Notes are added regarding the classification of streptococci and the various
test<semployed in the present investigation.
Charts containing complete data of 110
tonsils examined are added. Technique
employed for the examination of tonsils
is also described in detail.(d) Experiments with animals are also given.
The lesions produced are tabulated.PART II. I have described the new method
of "Tonsil Puncture ". This part also contains the
chart showing the bacteriology of tonsil- puncture as
applied to 14 cases of cholecystitis.(b) Animal experiments with organisms obtained
by tonsil puncture are also added to this
part.PART III. "Tonsil injection with streptococci". Direct tonsil injection in two dogs was
carried out in order to see whether repeated attacks
of tonsillitis, caused by a strain of streptococcus
obtained from the wall of the gall- bladder or the
cystic lymph gland of a case of chronic cholecystitis,
produces any disease of the gall -bladder in these
animals.PART IV. A set of experiments on three
series of animals (rabbits) were carried out where in
addition to the organisms a second factor of "lowered
resistance" was also introduced. Streptococci were
obtained from various sources, e.g. from extirpated
gall -bladder or cystic lymph gland, by tonsil puncture in a case of chronic cholecystitis, from an extirpated tonsil of a case where the patient had no
abdominal disorder. The animals were opened up and
their gall- bladder and lesser curviture of the
stomach traumatised. The object of this series
was to see:-(i) Whether lowering of resistance of a particular organ alone determines the localisation of any
particular organisms.(ii) Whether any particular organisms show a
greater tendency to localisation in one organ more
than the other, the two organs being under similar
conditions.PART V. Contains a short description of
the lesions produced in the animals by streptococcal
injection during the course of this work.(b) A general discussion and summary is added
at the end.APPENDIX. The clinical histories, and
other experimental details of all the cases studied
are put in the appendix in order to avoid confusion.Some of the naked -eye specimens have been
reproduced in water colours. All of them were drawn
and painted by the author himself. Several photographs have been added to illustrate statements
made in the text
