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The Discovery of Pancreatic duct – Johann Georg Wirsung


Affiliations
1 1Specialist Surgery, CAPFs Composite Hospital BSF Kadamtala, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
2 Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
     

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The discovery of the pancreatic duct revolves around the Professor of Anatomy from the University of Padua, Johann Georg Wirsung (1598-1649). His mysterious murder remains unresolved and one of the most intriguing aspect in the history of surgery. It is a past which has all the ingredients of a brutal murder, along with drama, accusation of plagiarism and a shady interpersonal rivalry with controversy. The discovery of Wirsung duct engraved on the copper plate by Wirsung himself is one of the wonders of clinical surgery.



Keywords

Pancreatic duct, chyle, Chronic pancreatitis, spleen
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  • Gamba A, Ongaro G. “Anatomes peritissimus”: Johann Georg Wirsung’s unknown experiments on the circulation of the blood. Physis Riv Int Stor Sci. 1993;30(2-3):231-42. PubMed PMID: 11639902.

  • Cecka F, Jon B, Kaska M. Was the Wirsung duct discovery facilitated by intraoperative alcohol consumption in 17th century, Italy ?. Pancreaticology 2013 Sept;3(13):S42.

  • Howard JM, Hess W, Traverso W. Johann Georg Wirsüng (1589-1643) and the pancreatic duct: the prosector of Padua, Italy. J Am Coll Surg. 1998 Aug;187(2):201-11. DOI: 10.1016/ s1072-7515(98)00136-7. PubMed PMID: 9704970.

  • Bassi C, Malleo G. The unsolved mystery of Johann Georg Wirsung and of (his?) pancreatic duct. Surgery. 2011 Jan; 149(1):153-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2010.07.049. Epub 2010 Sep 1. PubMed PMID: 20813389.

  • Flati G, Andrén-Sandberg A. Wirsung and Santorini: the men behind the ducts. Pancreatology. 2002;2(1):4-11. DOI: 10.1159/000049441. PubMed PMID:12120005.


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  • The Discovery of Pancreatic duct – Johann Georg Wirsung

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Authors

Kaushik Bhattacharya
1Specialist Surgery, CAPFs Composite Hospital BSF Kadamtala, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Aditya Shikar Bhattacharya
Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


The discovery of the pancreatic duct revolves around the Professor of Anatomy from the University of Padua, Johann Georg Wirsung (1598-1649). His mysterious murder remains unresolved and one of the most intriguing aspect in the history of surgery. It is a past which has all the ingredients of a brutal murder, along with drama, accusation of plagiarism and a shady interpersonal rivalry with controversy. The discovery of Wirsung duct engraved on the copper plate by Wirsung himself is one of the wonders of clinical surgery.



Keywords


Pancreatic duct, chyle, Chronic pancreatitis, spleen

References