In reviewing the literature for 1931 on the tonsils and adenoids, I have selected only those papers which promote discussion and those which, according to my judgment, show the advances made in this particular field of otolaryngology. Most of the outstanding contributions have been directed to the study of the bacteriology, immunology and biochemistry of the tonsils. An extremely interesting and instructive series of reports by New and Childrey on tumors of the tonsil and pharynx represent the observations of a large collection of clinical and pathologic material. Instructive papers on retropharyngeal abscess were contributed by Lifschutz and by Woodward.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONSA review of the various factors involved in the tonsil problem convinced B\l=u"\rgers and Wolffheim that many factors are as yet not fully understood. Following a discussion of the bacteriology of the pharyngo-oral cavity, they stated that the bacteriology of healthy and of diseased tonsils as well as the question of the pathogenicity of the micro-organisms is still not fully understood. They considered it of great importance to detect a relationship between the various forms of tonsillitis and the micro-organisms that are found during these diseases in the coatings of the tonsils, in the lacunar secretions and in the tonsillar plugs. They thought that certain serologic reactions could serve as indicators for such correlations. Of the various methods of specific immunity tests, three were tried: dermoreaction, precipitation and phagocytosis. By intracutaneous vaccinations, analogous to the Dick test, only noncharacteristic, positive reactions were obtained, but these are probably only of an allergic nature and do not permit conclusions in regard to the specificity of the micro-organism. The precipitation reactions gave no indications of a definite regularity, and in their present form they therefore do not seem suitable for these purposes. In tests of the phagocytosis (opsonic action), the authors called attention to the fact that the leukocytes show a different behavior Downloaded From: http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/ by a Oakland University User on 05/31/2015
