Revolutionizing the Revolutionizing the Human BodyHuman Body

Da Vinci’s The Vitruvian Man

Dissecting the Human BodyDissecting the Human Body In 1543, Andreas In 1543, Andreas

Vesalius published Vesalius published his book his book De Humani De Humani Corporis Fabrica Corporis Fabrica Libri SeptemLibri Septem

Vesalius informed Vesalius informed his readers that he his readers that he formed his theories formed his theories by repeated by repeated observation of observation of cadaverscadavers

Four Reasons for a Delay in Four Reasons for a Delay in Medical AdvancementMedical Advancement

PsychologicalPsychologicalSocialSocialAnthropologicalAnthropologicalReligiousReligious

Challenges to TraditionChallenges to Tradition

Iacopo Berengario Iacopo Berengario insisted on the insisted on the priority of sensory priority of sensory perception over perception over traditional authoritytraditional authority

Galen advocated a Galen advocated a balance of the balance of the humoral system humoral system where all bodily where all bodily fluids would restrain fluids would restrain the others the others

GalenGalen

Teaching AnatomyTeaching Anatomy The lone The lone

practical exercise practical exercise consisted of one consisted of one member of the member of the college “putting college “putting forward a case of forward a case of illness so that he illness so that he may furnish a may furnish a prognosis and a prognosis and a course of course of healing” healing”

Selecting the BodySelecting the Body

The idea was to select a body for dissection The idea was to select a body for dissection that would be completely beyond anyone that would be completely beyond anyone caring about what would be done to itcaring about what would be done to it

Utmost Compassion & CareUtmost Compassion & Care Selection of a Selection of a

body was made body was made several days in several days in advance under advance under utmost secrecyutmost secrecy

Such news might Such news might influence the rites influence the rites of comfort, or of comfort, or even reach the even reach the ears of the ears of the intended victim intended victim

Careful Treatment of a Careful Treatment of a Dissected BodyDissected Body

First…rewarding the soul of the bodyFirst…rewarding the soul of the body Second…avoiding a higher dose of infamySecond…avoiding a higher dose of infamy Third…to not torture a soul in the afterlifeThird…to not torture a soul in the afterlife

Obsessive Repetition of Obsessive Repetition of SourcesSources

Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Galen are just Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Galen are just three of manythree of many

All these sources had the goal of All these sources had the goal of constructing a history of anatomy that constructing a history of anatomy that would further their science and also their would further their science and also their namesnames

Whomever wrote on the subject of anatomy Whomever wrote on the subject of anatomy plagiarized, forgetting original sources, and plagiarized, forgetting original sources, and sometimes misrepresented or even falsified sometimes misrepresented or even falsified their contentstheir contents

Of Philosophers and Of Philosophers and PhysiciansPhysicians

Anatomy is not now, Anatomy is not now, nor was it years ago, nor was it years ago, solely the province of solely the province of physiciansphysicians

Philosophers also had Philosophers also had their separate needs their separate needs and theories quite and theories quite removed from the removed from the bodybody

Even though the two Even though the two disciplines had disciplines had different methods, different methods, they both read and they both read and used the same sourcesused the same sources

Aristotle & ZoologyAristotle & Zoology

Aristotle was Aristotle was recognized by recognized by Renaissance Renaissance anatomists as a anatomists as a founder of anatomical founder of anatomical science, even though science, even though his expertise in this his expertise in this endeavor was mostly endeavor was mostly in zoological writings in zoological writings on animal dissectionon animal dissection

Incorrect Analogy to the Incorrect Analogy to the TabooTaboo

““It is necessary to It is necessary to know the position, know the position, the color, the the color, the shape, the size…of shape, the size…of individual organs”individual organs”

Aulus Aulus CorneliuCornelius Celsus s Celsus

East Vs. WestEast Vs. West

Aristotle’s disgust combined with Celsus’ belief of Aristotle’s disgust combined with Celsus’ belief of uselessness combined over the years to describe uselessness combined over the years to describe dissections as useless, repugnant, and crueldissections as useless, repugnant, and cruel

What We Thought Was What We Thought Was True…True…

When we take a look at the whole host of When we take a look at the whole host of problems, from misinformation to false problems, from misinformation to false analogies to lost documents, is it any analogies to lost documents, is it any wonder we believed dissection to be wrongwonder we believed dissection to be wrong

Even today, there are legitimate studies Even today, there are legitimate studies that show even within a society that that show even within a society that considers dissection indispensable, the considers dissection indispensable, the practice causes med students traumapractice causes med students trauma

The practice of anatomy then is the product The practice of anatomy then is the product of a conflict between scientific need and of a conflict between scientific need and philosophic resistancephilosophic resistance