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so as to ensure in every child a free, normal nasal airway
and inculcate into him the only normal way of healthy respiration—through
the nose. Obstruction in the nasal airway is
very easily set up in the infant or young child by plugs of
retained mucus secretion, leading to infection and congestive
rhinitis—perhaps sinus involvement and then from here—by
extension through the lymphatic chain to the tonsils and
glands on the neck. The adenoid tissue becomes hypertrophied
and infected and extension here has easy access to the middle
ear, setting up otitis and discharging ear. This is the chain of
events. We dilate on this "subject to explain our reasons for
stressing the importance of the early recognition and correction
of what might seem just a 'minor ailment'. All those infants
and young'pre-school children now found with any nasal
insufficiency or obstruction are given a course of diastolisation,
and in certain cases the parents are given 'nasal drops' and
instructed to instill three drops into the child's nostrils every
night, while lying on its back. This ensures the passage of
the medicament into the post nasal space. The drops consist
of mercury, menthol and olive oil. They are strongly recommended
by Mr. E. A. Peters, F. R. C.S.
"The number of children attending the clinic for 'nose and
throat conditions' has greatly increased during the year, and now
outnumbers those treated for purely ear defects. We advocate
this, because in the early detection and correction of these nose
and throat ailments, we can, in the main, eliminate the chief
potential factors and exciting causes of later ear involvement,
otitis, discharging ear, deafness, etc. We use the Proetz
method of 'displacement' very largely in sinus-nasal treatment,
and we can confirm our previous account of this valuable
method. It is both diagnostic and theropeutic, and the percentage
of sinus disease present in children, showing no very
obvious physical signs, will surprise anyone who has not
hitherto given this matter its deserved, detailed investigation,
particularly in respect of cases referred as 'diseased tonsils
and adenoids'. In all the cases of 'unhealthy' tonsils which
we now treat by Tonsil Suction (Peter's Method), we invariably
do a 'displacement' test, first to satisfy ourselves as to the
condition of the sinuses. We have found, on an average, that
about 20 per cent, have infected, unhealthy sinuses. Sinusnasal
treatment is given concurrently with the Tonsil Suction