The tonsils belong to the hemopoietic system, and are germinating centers for the leucocytes. Their period of greatest activity is in childhood and youth, when all the lymphatic organs are especially active, and when the thymus gland is disappearing.1 Surrounding the tonsillar follicles are plexuses of lymphatics, and in the tissues of the tonsils there exists an intimate lymphatic network, composed of minute channels from which the lymph is collected by larger lymphatic vessels. These pass to the superior deep cervical glands, which frequently become enlarged in tonsillar inflammations, and can be easily demonstrated in the upper part of the neck. Goodale2proved that absorption exists normally in the tonsils and takes place through the mucous membrane of the crypts. Hodenpyl3demonstrated that rarefaction of the epithelium is of constant occurrence in the tonsils; as a result of this process, parts of the epithelium are considerably diminished