All the above symptoms of fever may be considered as expression of the efforts of nature to defend herself by eliminating toxic products. All toxic products which are the causes of infection act upon the thyroid gland, this organ, through increased activity, produces symptoms such as we see in Graves’s disease. That these symptoms, especially abundant perspiration, polyuria, and diarrhœa, typical in some infectious diseases, may be considered as the direct consequence of thyroid activity, can best be shown by the fact that the thyroid gland governs the functions of the skin, intestines, and kidneys. That the symptoms of fever may be considered as due to increased thyroid activity is also shown by the fact that nearly all such symptoms may be produced by thyroid preparations. We have personally taken for experimental purposes, during ten months, thyroid tablets and experienced the sensation of heat, flushings, and abundant perspiration. It is interesting to note that all kinds of wounds and contusions we got during the time we took these tablets, healed with surprising rapidity with fine granulations far better than previously; on the other hand, we very frequently suffered from tonsillitis and acne eruptions. Symptoms similar to fever have also been produced in animals by thyroid feeding; thus, very often elevation of the frequency of the pulse from 100 to 140-160 beats (Lanz), and from 150 to 200 beats (Georgiewski), while Ballet and Enriquez[70] produced regular fever in their animals; Easterbrook[71] also produced “some pyrexia” in his animals and an increase of pulse-rate of about 40 a minute. As Dr. Tanberg, former assistant of the Physiological Institute in Christiania, told us, he has produced an increase of the temperature of two and a half degrees in animals, whose thyroid he had extirpated, after giving very large quantities of thyroid gland. Footnote 70: Ballet and Enriquez: Quoted after Buschau. Footnote 71: Easterbrook: The Lancet, p. 546, August 27, 1898. It is of great interest to the question at issue that the remedies which we employ to fight fever should also produce symptoms like the thyroid does when it is in increased activity. Thus salicylates produce a vaso-dilatation and abundant perspiration, and afterward diminution of the temperature. We have, ourself, taken salicylates or acetonitril preparation and felt the sensation of heat and afterward perspiration. When we take a hot air or steam bath for cold or gouty pains we produce first, great heat, tachycardia, and then abundant perspiration, and the typical symptoms of fever or increased thyroid activity.