2022/04/25 by Ji Ho Park, M Riva · 1 citation
Medicine · Arts and Humanities · #Medicine and Dermatology Studies History #History of Medicine Studies #Lymphatic system #History #Medicine #Pathology
paper · doi:10.1177/00031348221096573
openalex publication_date 2022/04/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The first half of the seventeenth century may be seen as the turning point of knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, as also demonstrated by the works by William Harvey (1578‐1657) on the circulation of the blood. This article aims to present biographic context of the surgeon Gaspare Aselli (1581‐1625) and his rather fortuitous discovery of the lacteals in Milan in 1622, that contributed to the comprehension of the lymphatic system. The experimentation on living animals ( anatomia animata, living anatomy), and particularly the vivisection used by Gaspare Aselli provided the basis for much of the subsequent investigation of the human physiology. In particular, the discovery of lymphatics challenged the basis of the Galenic doctrine, denying the liver the central role it had formerly been granted in transforming food into blood and revolutionized the ancient hepatocentrism in favor of the modern concept of cardiocentrism.