Tonsils

The tonsils are a pair of oval-shaped organs in the back of the throat. They are part of the lymphatic system, producing "lymph," which is important to the body's defense against infection. Along with the adenoids at the base of the tongue, the tonsils protect against upper respiratory tract infections. They enlarge gradually from birth to about seven years of age and then shrink. In the Middle Ages, pharmacists, surgeons and barbers all had the same trade and were called "apothocaries." Since there were no "yellow pages," an ill person looked for the "barber pole" when he needed relief from drug mixtures ("eye of newt," spider legs, bat wings and other dusty, unsavory things) or even for an unsanitary and painful operation. Today, the word, "tonsorial," refers to a barber and his work. Ah, for the "good old days!"