Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2020 October 20

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October 20

What's the reason that people in the ancient time believed that removal of spleen will help them to run?

Is it known what's the reason that people in the ancient time (especially in the Roman or Greek empire If I'm not mistaken) believed that removal of the spleen will help them to run without limit or faster?--ThePupil (talk) 19:51, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

Did they believe that? Which "ancient people" believed this? --OuroborosCobra (talk) 21:13, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

see here.

Quoting from Side stitch: "A leading theory is that the pain may be caused by an increase in blood flow to the liver or spleen." Perhaps this has something to do with it.  --Lambiam 23:26, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

Thank you. I found more information here too. --ThePupil (talk) 07:05, 21 October 2020 (UTC)

From that source: "In 1922 this myth was tested in the laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, where Macht and Finesilver observed that asplenic mice were able to run faster than mice with an intact spleen". Alansplodge (talk) 08:43, 21 October 2020 (UTC)