Some Errors About Asellius and the Chyliferous Vessels

Abstract

It is widely accepted that Asellius died in 1926, and that his handwritten notes have
been edited by two of his friends or disciples in 162i.
Though there is a general agreement on this point, discordances and errors appear
and multiply on several items, i.e. a) about the place where Asellius lectured: Pavia (8),
Milano (9) and Padova (7); b) about the place where the discovery was made: Pavia,
according to Hahn (8), Rodriguez (12) and Cronkite (5), but more probably Milano
(9, 4); c) about the, though memorable date, when Asellius saw that part of the products
of the intestinal digestion did not go to the liver by way of the mesaraic veins (like it
was taught at that time), but passed into the "milky veins" or "lacteal vessels": Veith (14)
and Cronkite (5) mention 1622, Hahn (8) indicates July 23rd 1623, Hahn et al. (7)
indicate July 2.'3rd 1622, while Drinker and Field (6) do not hesitate to let Asellius
make his discovery in 1627, five years late and two years after his death; and d) about
the names of those who assured the posthumous publication of Asellius' work: Taddino
and Settala according to Hahn (8) and Henry (9), Talino and Settala according to
Costanzi (4), Tabino and Septalio according to Battezzati et al. (2), and in reality
Tadinus and Septalius.