Guglielmo Riva (1627-1677) and the end of Hepatocentrism : a 17th-Century Painting

During the seventeenth century, the description of the lymphatic system provided a decisive contribution to resolving the misconceptions of Galenic physiology concerning the production of blood in the liver. The transition from a liver-centered (hepatocentrism) to a heart-centered model (cardiocentrism) was fundamental in the history of medicine, since it allowed the role of the liver and of the heart in the bodily processes to be more correctly identified. The modification of the medical knowledge on the liver and its functions during that period is well represented in a 17th-century painting,"ll Fegato" ("The Liver"), probably belonging to the "anatomical museum" of the Roman surgeon Giovanni Guglielmo Riva (1627-1677). In particular, this Italian physician significantly contributed to the discovery of the lymphatic system and to the study of the hematopoiesis. Thus, this painting as well as the figure of Guglielmo Riva would deserve a major consideration in the history of medicine and of hepatology in particular.