Andreas Vesalius
Taking a huge step in
Anatomyby Emily Monroe
Teacher: In the past two lessons we
studied two men who contributed greatly to the study of Anatomy, Galen
and Mondino dei Luzzi. Their texts were widely used in anatomy lessons
throughout history. Galen was widely accepted as providing anatomical
knowledge, while Mondino was widely accepted as providing instructions
on how to perform dissections on human cadavers. Today we will focus on
an individual who made a huge impact on the anatomical studies of his
time by stepping out on a limb and daring to refute beliefs long held.
Student #1: What do you mean refute beliefs?
Teacher: Well, do you remember when I mentioned how some of the information provided in the anatomical writings by Galen was actually incorrect?
Student #2: Oh yeah, that's right.
Teacher: Well, up until the time of the Renaissance, that is the mid 1500's, most scholars and professors who studied or taught anatomy had accepted Galen's writings as absolute. Some would occasionally seek out minor errors, but most would never dare to question the authority of the ancient physicians (Debus, Man and Nature, p. 60).
Student #3: I remember in the last lesson you said that even when students were following Mondino's instructions as they were performing dissections, would often overlook the inaccuracies being taught and just assume they were odd occurrences of some kind.
Teacher: Very good. I'm glad you are remembering these lessons. That is absolutely correct. Galen's facts were never questioned. Well, around 1531 there was a student by the name of Andreas Vesalius who began studying in the medical program at Paris. He was an assistant for a man named Johannes Guinter who was in the process of publishing translations and interpretations of Galen's work. While studying under Guinter, Vesalius began to recognize many of the discrepancies in his master's and Galen's works (Debus, Man and Nature, p. 60).
Student #4: So, what did he do?
Teacher: Vesalius left Paris and taught in Lovaine in 1536. He later acquired his medical degree in Padua, where he became a lecturer in surgery in 1537. By 1538 he produced six wall charts called "Tabulae sex", which contained text and illustrations for his anatomical students. The following year he wanted to provide a dissection manual that could replace the manual by Mondino that most students were currently using. So, he republished Guinter's translation of Galen's "On Anatomical Procedures" (University of Oklahoma, History of Sciences, Exhibits Online) He preferred the Galenic organization rather than Mondino's practical methods of dissection (Debus, Man and Nature, p. 60).
Student #3: I thought you said that he recognized errors in Guinter's and Galen's works. It sounds to me like he's just carrying on their accepted knowledge.
Teacher: Yes, I'm getting to that. In 1543 Vesalius published an awesome work on the human body called De humani corporis fabrica, or On the Fabric of the Human Body. He was only 28 years old and had become one of the leading anatomists of his time by producing the first modern texts on anatomy. Vesalius had begun his career as a follower of Galen's knowledge and methods, but eventually his writings included more than 200 corrections of Galen's works. He later published a second edition to De fabrica in 1555 to make corrections to some of his agreements with Galen (Lienhard, Engines of our Ingenuity, No. 325).
Student #1: So what did everyone do after he published his disagreements and corrections of Galen?
Teacher: The intellectual community was outraged and Vesalius was widely criticized for his work. However, eventually his texts became known worldwide (Lienhard, Engines of our Ingenuity, No. 325).
Student #2: It's just terrible that he was treated so terribly by his peers. Why would they do that to him?
Teacher: It is terrible, but you have to understand that sometimes it is really difficult for people to accept change. Andreas Vesalius was taking a big step in the study of anatomy. Rather than continuing to accept what was being taught as fact, he looked at dissection as a learning experience in which he could further his knowledge. He passed what he learned on to others so that they too could lift the veil of dissolution. Vesalius's De fabrica was widely accepted over time. He opened the eyes of many to the benefits of experimentation and observation.
I hope that you too have learned from his example. And again, I implore you all to please question everything that you are taught. There may always be a more advanced level of knowledge out there awaiting your retrieval.
For more information on Vesalius, check out Kevin Lai's web project on Disease and Theories.
Bibliography:
Debus, A.G. Man and Nature in the Renaissance. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1978. p. 60.
Lienhard, J.H. "Engines of our Ingenuity, No. 325 Andreas Vesalius" website, 2005.
Weblink: Engines of our Ingenuity
Magruder, K. "Art and Anatomy-Andreas Vesalius", University of Oklahoma, History of Science, Exhibits Online.
Weblink: History of Science-Exhibits Online
Garrison, D. & Hast, M. English translation of De Humanis Corporis de Fabrica by Andreas Vesalius. Northwestern University. Evanston, IL. 2003.
Weblink: Andreas Vesalius
Author's Note:
The primary source that I used was a website from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. They have dedicated a site to the translation of De Fabrica. Although I did not quote or rephrase any information from my primary source, I used it to help me understand how elaborate and extensive Vesalius's De Fabrica was. I felt it was a dependable source because it was from a site posted by an accredited University. There are authors listed and extensive bibliographic and detailed information on the process of their translation.
The secondary sources by Debus, and Magruder were both sources given by the instructor for our course, therefore I felt were adequate and dependable. The other secondary source is a website maintained by a well-known professor in history and engineering. He works for the University of Houston and has published many books on his knowledge. The website "Engines of Ingenuity" is actually the transcripts of a radio show that he hosts. I found the information to be valid and felt it would be useful in pursuing my interpretation of Vesalius.
Image Information:
"Muscle-man panorama series" most likely created by Jan Stephen van Calcar, originally published in De Fabrica by Andreas Vesalius, 1543.
Courtesy of History of Science Collections, OU Libraries
Weblink: History of Science Exhibits Online
Student #1: What do you mean refute beliefs?
Teacher: Well, do you remember when I mentioned how some of the information provided in the anatomical writings by Galen was actually incorrect?
Student #2: Oh yeah, that's right.
Teacher: Well, up until the time of the Renaissance, that is the mid 1500's, most scholars and professors who studied or taught anatomy had accepted Galen's writings as absolute. Some would occasionally seek out minor errors, but most would never dare to question the authority of the ancient physicians (Debus, Man and Nature, p. 60).
Student #3: I remember in the last lesson you said that even when students were following Mondino's instructions as they were performing dissections, would often overlook the inaccuracies being taught and just assume they were odd occurrences of some kind.
Teacher: Very good. I'm glad you are remembering these lessons. That is absolutely correct. Galen's facts were never questioned. Well, around 1531 there was a student by the name of Andreas Vesalius who began studying in the medical program at Paris. He was an assistant for a man named Johannes Guinter who was in the process of publishing translations and interpretations of Galen's work. While studying under Guinter, Vesalius began to recognize many of the discrepancies in his master's and Galen's works (Debus, Man and Nature, p. 60).
Student #4: So, what did he do?
Teacher: Vesalius left Paris and taught in Lovaine in 1536. He later acquired his medical degree in Padua, where he became a lecturer in surgery in 1537. By 1538 he produced six wall charts called "Tabulae sex", which contained text and illustrations for his anatomical students. The following year he wanted to provide a dissection manual that could replace the manual by Mondino that most students were currently using. So, he republished Guinter's translation of Galen's "On Anatomical Procedures" (University of Oklahoma, History of Sciences, Exhibits Online) He preferred the Galenic organization rather than Mondino's practical methods of dissection (Debus, Man and Nature, p. 60).
Student #3: I thought you said that he recognized errors in Guinter's and Galen's works. It sounds to me like he's just carrying on their accepted knowledge.
Teacher: Yes, I'm getting to that. In 1543 Vesalius published an awesome work on the human body called De humani corporis fabrica, or On the Fabric of the Human Body. He was only 28 years old and had become one of the leading anatomists of his time by producing the first modern texts on anatomy. Vesalius had begun his career as a follower of Galen's knowledge and methods, but eventually his writings included more than 200 corrections of Galen's works. He later published a second edition to De fabrica in 1555 to make corrections to some of his agreements with Galen (Lienhard, Engines of our Ingenuity, No. 325).
Student #1: So what did everyone do after he published his disagreements and corrections of Galen?
Teacher: The intellectual community was outraged and Vesalius was widely criticized for his work. However, eventually his texts became known worldwide (Lienhard, Engines of our Ingenuity, No. 325).
Student #2: It's just terrible that he was treated so terribly by his peers. Why would they do that to him?
Teacher: It is terrible, but you have to understand that sometimes it is really difficult for people to accept change. Andreas Vesalius was taking a big step in the study of anatomy. Rather than continuing to accept what was being taught as fact, he looked at dissection as a learning experience in which he could further his knowledge. He passed what he learned on to others so that they too could lift the veil of dissolution. Vesalius's De fabrica was widely accepted over time. He opened the eyes of many to the benefits of experimentation and observation.
I hope that you too have learned from his example. And again, I implore you all to please question everything that you are taught. There may always be a more advanced level of knowledge out there awaiting your retrieval.
For more information on Vesalius, check out Kevin Lai's web project on Disease and Theories.
Bibliography:
Debus, A.G. Man and Nature in the Renaissance. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1978. p. 60.
Lienhard, J.H. "Engines of our Ingenuity, No. 325 Andreas Vesalius" website, 2005.
Weblink: Engines of our Ingenuity
Magruder, K. "Art and Anatomy-Andreas Vesalius", University of Oklahoma, History of Science, Exhibits Online.
Weblink: History of Science-Exhibits Online
Garrison, D. & Hast, M. English translation of De Humanis Corporis de Fabrica by Andreas Vesalius. Northwestern University. Evanston, IL. 2003.
Weblink: Andreas Vesalius
Author's Note:
The primary source that I used was a website from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. They have dedicated a site to the translation of De Fabrica. Although I did not quote or rephrase any information from my primary source, I used it to help me understand how elaborate and extensive Vesalius's De Fabrica was. I felt it was a dependable source because it was from a site posted by an accredited University. There are authors listed and extensive bibliographic and detailed information on the process of their translation.
The secondary sources by Debus, and Magruder were both sources given by the instructor for our course, therefore I felt were adequate and dependable. The other secondary source is a website maintained by a well-known professor in history and engineering. He works for the University of Houston and has published many books on his knowledge. The website "Engines of Ingenuity" is actually the transcripts of a radio show that he hosts. I found the information to be valid and felt it would be useful in pursuing my interpretation of Vesalius.
Image Information:
"Muscle-man panorama series" most likely created by Jan Stephen van Calcar, originally published in De Fabrica by Andreas Vesalius, 1543.
Courtesy of History of Science Collections, OU Libraries
Weblink: History of Science Exhibits Online
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