PMID: 11625189Jan 1, 1997Paper

Vesalius and De humani corporis fabrica: Galen's errors and the change of anatomy in the sixteenth century

Hippokrates : Suomen lääketieteen historian seuran vuosikirja = Årsskrift för Finlands medicinhistoriska sällskap = Annales Societatis Historiae Medicinae Fennicae
T Joutsivuo

Abstract

In medieval universities, human dissections were in general unusual, and public dissections were moreover strictly standardized. At public anatomical lessons three persons were needed to perform an autopsy. The Lector (a lecturer) read and commented on an authoritative text, which usually was Mondino dei Liuzzi's Anatomy. The Ostensor pointed out to the sector, normally a surgeon or a barber, the part of the body to be dissected. The procedure followed the text, the truth of which was not, questioned, and what was seen in a dissected body only confirmed what was stated in the text. In his De Humani corporis fabrica Vesalius criticized both the medieval method of dissection and the dependence of anatomy on authoritative texts. Vesalius wanted to unite the roles of lector, ostensor and sector. In Vesalius's view, a lecturer on anatomy must be able to dissect a cadaver himself and trust his own eyes more than authoritative text. Relying on his own eyes Vesalius gradually began to doubt the truth of various anatomical statements found in Galen's anatomical treatises. Galen (ca. 130-200) was the greatest medical authority during the Renaissance, and he was regarded as almost infallible. In Galen's person culminated the idealism of R...Continue Reading

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