Today we will talk about such a great scientist as Andreas Vesalius. You will find a photo and a biography of it in this article. If someone can be considered the father of anatomy, then, of course, Vesalius. This is a naturalist, creator and founder of modern anatomy. He was one of the first to study the human body through autopsies. It is from him that all the latest achievements in anatomy originate.
In a very difficult time, Andreas Vesalius worked. The century in which he lived was marked by the rule of the church in all areas of life, including medicine. Autopsy was prohibited, and violations of this prohibition were severely punished. However, Andreas Vesalius did not intend to retreat at all. The contribution to the biology of this scientist would be much less if he did not dare to step over the prohibitions and traditions. But, like many of those who were ahead of their time, he paid for his bold ideas.
Want to know more about a great man like Andreas Vesalius, whose contribution to biology is invaluable? We offer to get to know him better by reading this article.
Origin of Vesalius
Andreas Vesalius (years 1514-1564) belongs to the Whiting family, who lived in Nimwegen for a long time. The medical scientists were several generations of his family. For example, Andreas's great-great-grandfather, Peter, was rector and professor of the University of Louvain, a doctor of the emperor Maximilian himself. Being a bibliophile and carried away by treatises on medicine, he did not spare funds for the purchase of manuscripts, having spent part of his fortune on them. Peter wrote a commentary on the fourth book of Avicenna, the great oriental encyclopedist. The book is called "The Canon of Medicine."
Andreas's great-grandfather, John, was also a teacher. He worked at the University of Louvain, where he lectured in mathematics, and was also a doctor. Everard, son of John and grandfather of Andreas, also followed in the footsteps of his father, realized in medicine. Andreas, father of Andreas Vesalius, served as a pharmacist for Aunt Charles V, Princess Margarita. Francis, the younger brother of our hero, was also fond of medicine and became a doctor.
The childhood of the future scientist
December 31, 1514 was born Andreas Vesalius. He was born in Brussels and grew up among doctors who visited his father's house. From a very young age, Andreas used the library of treatises on medicine that passed from generation to generation in this family. He developed an interest in this field of knowledge. It should be said that Andreas was unusually erudite. He remembered all the discoveries that were made by different authors, and commented on them in his writings.
Studying at the University of Louvain and the College of Education
Andreas at the age of 16 received a classical education in Brussels. In 1530, he became a student at the University of Louvain. It was founded in 1426 by Johann IV of Brabant. The university was closed after the start of the French Revolution. Again, students began to study in it in 1817. It taught Latin and Greek, rhetoric and mathematics. In order to advance in science, one should have a good knowledge of the languages of antiquity. Andreas, unsatisfied with teaching, moved in 1531 to the College of Education, which was founded in 1517 in Louvain.
Classes Vesalius in Paris
Quite early, the future scientist Andreas Vesalius became interested in anatomy. With great enthusiasm in his spare time, Andreas opened the corpses of domestic animals and dissected them. Nikolai Floren, a friend of his father and a court doctor, recommended that the young man go to Paris to study medicine. Later, in 1539, Andreas dedicated this man the work “Epistle of Bloodletting,” in which he called him the second father.
So, in 1533, Vesalius went to Paris to study medicine. He has been engaged in anatomy here for 3-4 years, listens to the lectures of the doctor from Italy Guido Guidy, better known as Jacques Dubois or Sylvius, who was one of the first to study the anatomical structure of the peritoneum, vena cava, etc. on human corpses. Sylvia brilliantly lectured. Vesalius also listened to Fernel, who was called the best doctor in Europe.
However, Andreas was not limited to the lectures of these two doctors. He also studied with Johann Gunther, who taught surgery and anatomy in Paris. He previously lectured in Greek at the University of Louvain, after which he moved to Paris (in 1527), where he studied anatomy. Vesalius established a cordial relationship with Gunther.
Difficulties in autopsy
For anatomical studies, Vesalius needed the corpses of the dead. However, this issue has always been associated with great difficulties. As you know, this occupation has never been considered a charitable deed. The church traditionally rebelled against him. Herophilus was probably the only doctor who opened corpses and was not prosecuted for this. Vesalius, carried away by scientific interest, went to the cemetery of the Innocent. He also came to the place of execution of Villar de Monfocon, where in stray dogs he disputed the corpse of this abbot.
In 1376, at the University of Montpellier, where the main subject was anatomy, doctors received permission to open the corpse of the executed criminal annually. This permission was given to them by the brother of Charles V, Louis of Anjou, who was the ruler of the Languedoc. It was very important for the development of medicine and anatomy. Subsequently, this permission was confirmed by Charles VI, the French king, and then Charles VIII. In 1496, the latter confirmed his diploma.
Return to Louvain, continued research
Vesalius, having been in Paris for more than 3 years, returned to Louvain. Here he continued to study anatomy with Gemma Frisius, his friend, who later became a famous doctor. It was very difficult for Andreas Vesalius to make the first bound skeleton. Together with his friend, he abducted the corpses of the executed, sometimes extracting them in parts. With danger to his life, Andreas climbed the gallows. At night, friends hid parts of the body in roadside bushes, after which, taking various occasions, delivered them home. At home, soft tissues were cut off, and bones were digested. All this should be done in the strictest confidence. The attitude to the official autopsy was completely different. Adrian of Blegen, Mayor of Louvain, did not interfere with them. On the contrary, he patronized the young doctors, and was sometimes present at autopsy.
Disputes with the driver
Andreas Vesalius argued with Driver, a professor at the University of Louvain, about how to bleed. Two opposing opinions have developed on this issue. Galen and Hippocrates taught that bloodletting should be carried out by a diseased organ. Avicenna and the Arabs believed that this should be done from the opposite side. The driver supported Avicenza, and Andreas supported Galen and Hippocrates. The driver was indignant at the insolence of the young doctor. However, he sharply answered him. After that, the driver began to dislike Vesalius. Andreas felt that it would be difficult for him to continue to work in Louvain.
Vesalius leaves for Venice
It was necessary to leave somewhere for a while. But where? Spain disappears - here the Church had great power, and the autopsy was considered as a desecration of the deceased. It was completely impossible. In France and Belgium, anatomy was also very difficult. Therefore, Vesalius went to the Venetian Republic. He was attracted by the possibility of some freedom for his anatomical studies. Founded in 1222, the University of Padua in 1440 became subject to Venice. The most famous medical school in Europe was its medical faculty. Padua met favorably with such a promising scientist as Andreas Vesalius, whose main merits were known to his professors.
Andreas becomes a professor
On December 5, 1537, the University of Padua awarded Vesalius at a solemn meeting a doctorate, with highest honors. And after Andreas demonstrated the autopsy, he was appointed professor of surgery. Vesalius's duties now included the teaching of anatomy. So at the age of 23, Andreas became a professor. Listeners were attracted by his bright lectures. Soon, under the fluttering flags, to the sound of trumpets, Andreas was appointed a doctor at the court of the bishop of Padua himself.
Vesalius possessed an active nature. He could not reconcile with the routine that dominated the departments of anatomy of various universities. Many professors simply monotonously read excerpts from the works of Galen. Uneducated ministers performed autopsies, and lecturers stood next to Galen's volume in their hands and from time to time pointed with their wands to various organs.
The first works of Vesalius
Vesalius published anatomical tables in 1538. They were six sheets of drawings. The engravings were made by S. Kalkar, a student of Titian. In the same year, Vesalius reprinted the works of Galen. A year later, his own work appeared, Letters of Bloodletting.
Andreas Vesalius, working on the publication of the works of his predecessors, was convinced that they described the structure of the human body based on the autopsy of animals. In this way erroneous information was transmitted that was legalized by tradition and time. Studying the human body through autopsy, Vesalius accumulated facts that he boldly contrasted with the generally recognized canons.
"On the structure of the human body"
Andreas Vesalius for 4 years, while he was in Padua, wrote an immortal work entitled "On the structure of the human body" (book 1-7). It was published in 1543 in Basel and was filled with many illustrations. In this essay, Andreas Vesalius (the cover photo of the work is presented above) described the structure of various systems and organs, pointed out the many mistakes made by his predecessors, including Galen. It should be noted that the authority of Galen after the appearance of this treatise was shaken, and after a while completely overthrown.
The work of Vesalius laid the foundation for modern anatomy. In this work, for the first time in history, a completely scientific, rather than speculative, description of the structure of the human body was given, which was based on an experimental study.
Andreas Vesalius, the founder of modern anatomy, made a great contribution to its terminology in Latin. As a basis, he took the names that he introduced in the 1st century. BC. Aulus Cornelius Celsus, "Cicero of Medicine" and "Latin Hippocrates."
Andreas gave uniformity to anatomical terminology. With rare exceptions, he threw out of it all the barbarism of the Middle Ages. At the same time, he minimized the number of Greekisms. This can be explained to some extent by Vesalius' rejection of many of Galen’s medical principles.
It is noteworthy that Andreas, being an innovator in anatomy, believed that the "animal spirits" produced in the ventricles of the brain are carriers of the psychic. This view was reminiscent of Galen's theory, because these "spirits" were simply renamed "psychic pneuma", which the ancients wrote about.
"On the structure of the human brain"
"On the structure of the human brain" is another work by Vesalius. This is the result of his study of the achievements of his predecessors in the field of anatomy. However, not only him. The results of his own research were put into this book by Andreas Vesalius. Their contribution to science was much more important than the value of describing the achievements of their predecessors. A scientific discovery was made in the essay, which was based on new methods of study. They were crucial for the development of science of that time.
Diplomatically squandering praises of Galen and wondering at the versatility of his knowledge and the vastness of his mind, Vesalius pointed out only "inaccuracies" in the teachings of this physician. However, there were a total of more than 200. In essence, they are a refutation of the most important provisions of the Galenic doctrine.
In particular, Vesalius was the first to refute his opinion that a person in the cardiac septum has holes through which blood supposedly passes from the right ventricle to the left. Andreas showed that the left and right ventricles did not communicate with each other in the postembryonic period. However, from the discovery of Vesalius, who refuted Galen's ideas about the physiological nature of blood circulation, the scientist could not draw the right conclusions. This was subsequently succeeded only by Harvey.
The ill-fated pamphlet Sylvia
A long overdue storm erupted after the publication of this great work by Andreas Vesalius. His teacher, Sylvius, always considered the unquestioned authority of Galen. He believed that everything that did not agree with the view or description of the great Roman was erroneous. For this reason, Sylvius rejected the discoveries made by his student. He called Andreas a "slanderer," "pride," "monster," whose breath infects all of Europe. Sylvia's disciples supported their teacher. They also opposed Andreas, calling him a patriarch and an ignoramus. However, Sylvia was not limited to insults. He wrote in 1555 a sharp pamphlet entitled "Refutation of the slander of a certain madman ...". In 28 chapters, Sylvia wittily ridicules his former friend and disciple and renounces him.
This pamphlet played a fateful role in the fate of the great scientist, who was Andreas Vesalius. His biography would probably be supplemented by many further interesting discoveries in the field of anatomy, if not for this document, imbued with jealous envy and anger. He united his enemies and created an atmosphere of public contempt around the name Vesalius. Andreas was accused of disrespectful to the teachings of Galen and Hippocrates. These scholars were not formally canonized by the Catholic Church, omnipotent at that time. However, their authority and judgment were accepted as the truths of scripture. Therefore, an objection to them amounted to rejection of the latter. Vesalius, moreover, was a pupil of Sylvia. Therefore, if Sylvius reproached his ward for defamation, the accusation incriminated by him seemed plausible.
Note that the teacher Andreas defended the authority of Galen is not at all disinterested. The scientist's indignation was due to the fact that Vesalius, undermining the reputation of Galen, destroyed Sylvia himself, since his knowledge rested on the texts of the classics of medicine, carefully studied and transmitted to students.
The fate of the department of Andreas
A mortal wound to Vesalius was inflicted by the pamphlet of Sylvia. Andreas Vesalius, whose biography from that moment on was marked by the many difficulties that our hero had to face, could not recover from this blow.
Opposition to the views of Andreas appeared in Padua. One of his most active opponents was Reald Colombo, a student of Vesalius and his deputy in the department. Colombo after the publication of the insinuation of Sylvia dramatically changed his attitude towards Andreas. He began to criticize him, trying to discredit the scientist in front of students.
Vesalius left Padua in 1544. After that, Colombo was appointed to the Department of Anatomy. However, he only worked as a professor for a year. In 1545, Colombo moved to the University of Pisa. And in 1551 he occupied the pulpit in Rome and until his death worked in this city. Gabrielle Fallopius succeeded Colombo at the Padua chair. He declared himself a disciple and heir to Vesalius and honorably continued his traditions.
Vesalius enters the royal service
Andreas Vesalius, the founder of scientific anatomy, was driven to despair by the malicious speculations of Sylvia. He had to stop research. In addition, Vesalius burned part of the materials and manuscripts collected for his future works. In 1544, he was forced to switch to medical activity, joining the service of Charles V, who was at war at that time with France. As a military surgeon, Vesalius had to go with him to the theater of operations.
In September 1544, the war ended. Andreas went to Brussels. Here, Father Vesalius soon died. The scientist after the death of his father inherited an inheritance, and he got a family. Charles V. arrived in Brussels in January 1545. Andreas was to become his attending physician. Karl suffered from gout. He ate very immoderately. Doctor Andreas Vesalius made great efforts to alleviate his suffering.
In 1555, Charles V abdicated. Vesalius began to serve with Philip II, his son. The latter moved from Brussels to Madrid in 1559 with his court, and Andreas and his family went after him.
Pilgrimage to Palestine, death
Vesalius began mercilessly pursuing the Spanish Inquisition. He was accused of killing a living person during the preparation of a corpse. Andreas Vesalius, whose contribution to medicine was huge, was sentenced to death. Only thanks to the intercession of the king was it replaced by another punishment - a pilgrimage to Palestine. Vesalius had to go to the Holy Sepulcher. At that time it was a difficult and dangerous journey.
Upon returning home, Andreas's ship at the entrance to the Strait of Corinth wrecked. The scientist was thrown on about. Zante. Here he was seriously ill. October 2, 1564, at the age of 50, the famous doctor died. Andreas Vesalius was buried in this pine-covered secluded island.
The contribution to medicine of this scientist is difficult to overestimate. For its time, his achievements were simply revolutionary. Fortunately, the works of such a scientist as Andreas Vesalius were not in vain. His main discoveries were developed and supplemented by numerous followers, who, after his death, appeared more and more.