The Thymus Gland lies just beneath the upper part of the breastbone in the middle of the
chest. It is present in all mammals, and is called the sweetbread in calves. Until the
1950s little was understood about the thymus, although there had been clues to its
function for many years. As far back as 1902, Foulerton, a London physician, was using
thymus extract in the treatment of cancer. However, the standard teaching was that the
thymus gland had no function at all in the adult, a delusion fostered by the fact that
during autopsy the thymus was usually found to be quite small and atrophied. This is
because the thymus gland, in response to acute stress such as an infection, can shrivel
to half its size in twenty-four hours. No wonder it was in a state of atrophy when
examined post-mortem!"
We are just now unravelling the mysteries of this gland. The thymus processes a type of
white blood cell known as a T-lymphocyte. These T-lymphocytes govern cellular
immunity which means they help cells recognize and destroy invading bacteria, virus,
etc., abnormal cell growth such as cancer, and foreign tissue.
The word thymus comes from the Greek word thymos, its roots go deeper. Tracing it
back beyond the world of Socrates and Plato, we find that thymos is from the
Indo-European root dheu, which is the base of a wide variety of derivatives meaning 'to
rise into flames,' 'to rise in a cloud,' 'to smoke.' In Sanskrit the word was dhuma, from
which come 'fume' and 'perfume'
"Interestingly enough, the word thymus is derived from the Greek thymos...which is
untranslatable into modern terms but denoted life force, soul, and feeling or sensibility.
As Onians points out, thymos originally referred to the breath. It was the stuff of
consciousness, the spirit, the breath-soul, upon which depended a man's energy and
courage. Even the earliest origins of the word implied rising into flames, as a cloud, spirit,
which relate it to the concept of soul and Life Energy." (Diamond, M.D.)
Thymus Gland location and purpose
The Thymus Gland is or will be the new Energetic Heart Centre.
chest. It is present in all mammals, and is called the sweetbread in calves. Until the
1950s little was understood about the thymus, although there had been clues to its
function for many years. As far back as 1902, Foulerton, a London physician, was using
thymus extract in the treatment of cancer. However, the standard teaching was that the
thymus gland had no function at all in the adult, a delusion fostered by the fact that
during autopsy the thymus was usually found to be quite small and atrophied. This is
because the thymus gland, in response to acute stress such as an infection, can shrivel
to half its size in twenty-four hours. No wonder it was in a state of atrophy when
examined post-mortem!"
We are just now unravelling the mysteries of this gland. The thymus processes a type of
white blood cell known as a T-lymphocyte. These T-lymphocytes govern cellular
immunity which means they help cells recognize and destroy invading bacteria, virus,
etc., abnormal cell growth such as cancer, and foreign tissue.
The word thymus comes from the Greek word thymos, its roots go deeper. Tracing it
back beyond the world of Socrates and Plato, we find that thymos is from the
Indo-European root dheu, which is the base of a wide variety of derivatives meaning 'to
rise into flames,' 'to rise in a cloud,' 'to smoke.' In Sanskrit the word was dhuma, from
which come 'fume' and 'perfume'
"Interestingly enough, the word thymus is derived from the Greek thymos...which is
untranslatable into modern terms but denoted life force, soul, and feeling or sensibility.
As Onians points out, thymos originally referred to the breath. It was the stuff of
consciousness, the spirit, the breath-soul, upon which depended a man's energy and
courage. Even the earliest origins of the word implied rising into flames, as a cloud, spirit,
which relate it to the concept of soul and Life Energy." (Diamond, M.D.)
Thymus Gland location and purpose
The Thymus Gland is or will be the new Energetic Heart Centre.
