THE THYMUS GLAND IN BERIBERI* 
By R. R. WiLuiaMs and B. C. CROWELL 
(From the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and the Biological Laboratory, 
Bureau.of Science, Manila, P. I.) 
Funk and Douglas? have shown that, among the changes 
which take place in pigeons suffering from polyneuritis as a 
result of an exclusive white-rice diet, a marked diminution in 
size occurs in the glands of internal secretion. Microscopically 
there is a marked degenerative change of the cells with higher 
functions. In most cases the marked atrophy is due to a dis- 
appearance of the cells, the framework of the gland alone re- 
maining. The most marked change is in the disappearance’ 
of the thymus; microscopically no thymus could be seen in 
any of the beriberic pigeons examined. 
Following these observations, a theory that a severe change 
in the glands of internal secretion occurs in beriberi has been 
proposed by Funk on the a priori grounds that the vitamines of 
the food have a close relationship to the glands of internal 
secretion. 
Funk and Douglas omitted to mention the age of the pigeons 
used in their work, and it seems that this is a factor of supreme 
importance. In human beings the thymus gland normally un- 
dergoes involution after puberty and is also subject to so-called, 
“accidental” involution in the course of both acute and chronic 
diseases. It is known that normal involution of the thymus 
occurs in the chicken, but we know of no evidence to prove that 
“accidental” involution occurs. To assume the occurrence of 
accidental involution in any individual case without a knowl- 
edge of the age of the animal seems erroneous. 
In man, in so far as infantile beriberi is concerned, it is known 
that accidental involution of the thymus does not always occur, 
and one of us* has drawn attention to the occurrence of en- 
larged thymus in some cases of infantile beriberi associated with 
status thymico-lymphaticus. 
In adult beriberic cases at autopsy our records show that the 
* Received for publication November 16, 1914. 
? Journ. Physiol. (1914), 47, 475. 
* Crowell, B. C., This Journal, Sec. B (1913), 8, 77. 
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