The PANCREAS

20th September 2020 – The Pancreas

The pancreas is an organ in our abdominal cavity. It is situated in the back of the abdomen, just in front of the main vein (inferior vena cava) and artery (aorta) of our body. The stomach lies in front of the pancreas.

It was first discovered by Herophilus in 336 BC – Ancient school of Medicine in Alexandria, Egypt. In the 1st or 2nd Century AD, a surgeon by the name of Ruphos in Ephesus, named the organ pancreas, meaning “all flesh”.

Galen (Claudius Galenus 138-201 AD) called the pancreas “a protective organ guarding the great veins”. Galen, was the court physician to the Roman Emperor. He often treated the injured gladiators after their violent duels with other gladiators or animals in the arena. The function of the pancreas was unknown at the time. The pancreas is a soft organ and Galen thought that it was meant to protect the important blood vessels when someone receives a blow to the abdomen.

The pancreas was then neglected for more then a 1000 years until the discovery by Wirsung in 1642. Wirsung was a German anatomist. He discovered the pancreatic duct during his dissection of a man who was recently hung for murder. Wirsung himself was eventually also murdered by an anatomy student.

It was only in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the pancreas was known to help us with digestion and produces hormones. It produces enzymes which helps us digest our food. One of the hormones which the pancreas produces is called insulin. As we all know, the lack of insulin or the body’s resistance to insulin will lead to the condition known as diabetes.

A common question which patients ask me all the time is “what is the function of the pancreas?”. In short, it helps us digest our food and produces hormones such as insulin.

Through history, the pancreas is being treated like a neglected stepchild… but now, we know it plays such a vital role in our well being.

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