Once almost a rite of childhood, tonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils) is now rarely performed. Similarly, while ruptured spleens were once routinely removed, they are now conserved whenever...

Once almost a rite of childhood, tonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils) is now rarely performed. Similarly, while ruptured spleens were once routinely removed, they are now conserved whenever possible. Why should these lymphoid organs be preserved when possible?