x,B,2 Williams and Crowell: Thymus Gland in Beriberi 123 
That this atrophy is not due simply to the age of the birds 
is shown by the fact that it took place in half-grown as well 
as in full-grown fowls. 
No relationship could be established between the atrophy of 
the thymus and the length of the incubation period or the 
duration, severity, or specific symptoms of the disease. How- 
ever, our study of the symptoms was not sufficiently minute 
to exclude the possibility of the existence of such relationship. 
The thyroid was also examined in the 16 fowls mentioned, 
and results similar to those of Funk and Douglas were noted. 
Four chickens which had been fed on milk and white rice 
for varying periods in the course of another experiment were 
examined after death. These chickens developed evidence of 
neuritis and were killed. Their sciatic nerves showed micro- 
scopic evidences of degeneration in Marchi preparations. The 
thymus of 1 fed with autoclaved milk and white rice was small. 
The thymus glands of the other 3 chickens which were fed on 
whole fresh milk and white rice were large. 
The results of all of these examinations are given in Table I. 
ADMINISTRATION OF THYMUS TISSUE 
Two fowls were fed on white rice with an addition of 10 milli- 
grams of dried sheep’s thymus daily. It was estimated that the 
' quantity of thymus tissue ingested during the normal period of 
incubation would be the same as that normally present in young 
fowls. This small amount of tissue noticeably retarded, but 
did not prevent, the onset of the disease. | 
Two fowls were fed on white rice with a daily dose of the 
alcoholic extract of 1.5 gram thymus gland. Here again the pro- 
tection was not complete, although the loss in weight and the 
onset of the disease were retarded. 
Two fowls were fed in the same manner, but with a daily dose 
of the extract of 3 grams of thymus with less protective results. 
For comparison 2 fowls were fed on white rice and 2 milligrams 
of uracil daily. One contracted chicken cholera as shown by a 
blood smear. The other was apparently partially protected by 
the uracil. 
Five fowls suffering from polyneuritis were treated with 
hydrolyzed extract of thymus gland in doses of from 5 to 50 grams 
of the gland. No cures were obtained. 
Two human cases of beriberi were treated with small quan- 
tities of thymus, and a slight improvement was shown in each 
case. This improvement did not continue after the first few 
