A Study of Illness in a Group of Cleveland Families

THE question of whether or not an excessively large number of common respiratory infections, chiefly "common colds," in a child constitutes an indication for tonsillectomy continues to receive a variety of answers.1 2 3 4 5 Most recent lists of indications, however, do not include the frequent occurrence of common respiratory diseases per se as a major or primary indication for this operation.2 , 3 The closely related question of whether or not a reduction in the incidence of common upper respiratory infections may be expected after tonsillectomy has been given considerable attention. The answer has been sought in several ways, including follow-up studies of patients . . .