The thymus gland in ancient Greek medicine

Abstract

The term thymus was used in ancient Greek medical literature to describe not only the thymus gland but also the warty excrescences found mainly in the genitals or the anus, but also over the entire body. Rufus of Ephesus (1st–2nd c. AD) gave the earliest anatomical description of this gland in humans, while Galen (1st–2nd c. AD) first described it in animals. However, the origins and meaning of this term have long mystified researchers. A careful investigation into its etymology together with the information derived from early anatomical descriptions has enabled us to propose a new interpretation of the origins of the name of the thymus gland.