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Article: The thyroid gland: a brief historical perspective. (Editorial).
- Article from:
- Southern Medical Journal
- Article date:
- May 1, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Southern Medical Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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One of the first references to the thyroid gland in Western medicine is in 1656, when it was thought that the main function of the thyroid gland was to lubricate the trachea. (1) It was also believed to have a cosmetic function in women. Paintings going back to ancient Egypt often emphasize the size of the thyroid gland in women. In the early 1800s, the thyroid was thought to be a vascular shunt to divert the blood flow from the brain. In 1811, cancer of the thyroid was the first disease of the thyroid to be described. (2)
Rush (3) reported in 1820 that the thyroid gland is larger in women because it is "necessary to guard the female system from the influence of ...