Andrei Vesalius is the founder of scientific anatomy. His remarkable book De humini corporus fabrica, created in 1543, was the first fully illustrated anatomy of the human body. It was based on the scientist’s observations made during autopsy, and refuted many thousand-year-old fallacies in this field of knowledge. Andrei Vesalius is a Renaissance scientist. He was a professor of anatomy at the University of Padova and a physician for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Andrey Vesaliy: a brief biography
Vesalius was born on December 31, 1514 in Brussels. At that time, the city was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Today it is the capital of Belgium. Andrei was one of four children - he had two brothers and a sister. His father, Anders van Wesel, served as a court pharmacist at Margarita of Austria. Mother, Isabelle Crabb, raised children in a rich house located in a respectable area near the Codenberg Palace, where the boy's dad worked.
Vesalius went to school at six. Probably, it was an educational institution of the Catholic Brotherhood in Brussels. For 9 years, he mastered arithmetic, Latin and other languages, and also thoroughly studied the principles of the Catholic religion. His father was often absent from duty. And the boy, encouraged by his mother to follow in the footsteps of the pope, made full use of the well-stocked family library.
College
At the age of 15, Andrei Vesalius entered the University of Louvain. It was located 30 km east of Brussels. This was a moment of family pride: his father was forbidden to graduate, since he was born unmarried. As it was then accepted, Vesalius studied art and Latin. He also mastered Hebrew and Greek. After receiving a master's degree in art in 1532, he was admitted to the prestigious medical school of the University of Paris.
Paris Medical School
Andrei Vesalius began his medical education in 1533, at the age of 19. The work of the ancient Greek physician Claudius Galen, written 1300 years before he met them, had a great influence on the talented student. These teachings were considered absolute and impeccable truth. Most of the anatomical observations of Galen were made during the autopsy of animals, mainly primates, since in that era it was forbidden to dissect humans.
Andrei Vesalius, as an anatomist, owes much to his anatomy teacher Johann Guinter von Andernach, who was engaged in translating the ancient Greek texts of Galen into Latin. Like the ancient Greek physician, he considered personal experience and observation to be the best way to obtain anatomical knowledge. Most of the autopsies of a person at that time were carried out solely to assure students that everything written by Galen and Hippocrates was true.
During a typical demonstration, the butcher or surgeon made the necessary cuts, and the teacher, sitting high above the body, read out relevant passages from ancient works aloud. The assistant assisted students by pointing to the bodies under discussion. Since ancient texts could not contain any errors, students were not allowed to ask questions or discuss dissection. Academic disputes, as a rule, concerned the correct translation of ancient works, and not anatomy.
Gwinter von Andernach was a rare type of teacher in those days. He allowed his students to dissect themselves. Although this practice was condemned by most universities. As a rule, executions of executed criminals were performed, and it was considered humiliating for educated people to deal with these despicable samples.
The talents of Vesalius were so impressed with Guinter that he asked him to help with a book on the Galenic Anatomy Institutiones anatomicae. The work was published in 1536. In it, Guinter praised his 21-year-old student: "This promising young man has outstanding knowledge of medicine, is fluent in Latin and Greek, and is very experienced in anatomy."
Louvain Medical School
Andrei Vesalius was forced to leave Paris in 1536, as a war broke out between France and the Holy Roman Empire. To complete his medical research, he returned to the University of Louvain. His experience in anatomy was quickly recognized. Soon, Vesalius was instructed to observe and comment on the autopsy of the suddenly died 18-year-old noblewoman. Anatomy of young women at that time was rare. Vesalius was outraged by the inexperience of the surgeon and took the autopsy on himself.
Despite a keen awareness of his growing experience, he was still unhappy with his knowledge of human anatomy. Vesalius realized that the texts could not teach him anything else. Now Andrei had to break down the barriers to knowledge erected by old professors of medicine who were happy to worship Galen and Hippocrates. For research, he needed human bodies.
Shortly after returning to Louvain, Andrei Vesalius and his friend found an almost complete corpse of the executed criminal left in the open. The opportunity presented was too good to miss. That night, Vesalius secretly made his way to the body, kidnapped and dissected him, making him a skeleton, which he then used as a visual aid. In order not to arouse suspicion, he came up with a story that he brought him from Paris. By conducting demonstration autopsies for students, Vesalius in Louvain actually became an informal teacher of anatomy. In 1537, at age 22, he received a bachelor's degree in medicine.
Andrey Vesaliy: biography of a scientist
The young doctor wanted to become a doctor. To do this, he needed to get the appropriate qualifications. To this end, he entered the University of Padua in northern Italy. The professors quickly realized that Vesalius was an exceptional student. Almost immediately, they allowed him to pass the final exams. A gifted young man received his doctorate just in time for his twenty-third birthday. Teachers immediately elected him a professor of anatomy and surgery.
Andrei Vesalius will write his main works in Padua. He acutely felt the need for illustrations and visual aids that could help students understand anatomy. Vesalius used them during autopsies. In the first year of his profession, in 1538, he published Tabulae anatomicae sex - “Six Anatomical Tables”. Visual illustrations were accompanied by notes made by Andrei Vesaliy during his first public autopsy in Padua. The contribution to the anatomy of the scientist is undeniable. He made a schematic representation of the liver, venous and arterial systems, as well as the skeleton. The book instantly became very popular. She was shamelessly copied.
In 1539, anatomical studies of Vesalius received the support of Judge Padua. He became interested in the scientist's work and began supplying him with the bodies of executed criminals for autopsy. By this time, it had become apparent to Vesalius that Galen's anatomy was incorrect. However, the refutation of prevailing ideas is a complex and sometimes dangerous business. Even in later times, too often, new ideas had to fight for their right to exist, even if they were backed by strong evidence. Vesalius had to refute the orthodox views that prevailed for 1300 years.
In the work “Six Anatomical Tables”, instead of describing his current observations in the course of research, the scientist made concessions to tradition. Andrei Vesalius presented the liver in medieval form - in the form of a five-lobed flower. He depicted the heart and the aorta as Galen described them - these were the organs of monkeys, not people. However, in the skeleton, he managed to make revolutionary, albeit subtle, changes. Vesalius showed the jaw of a man, consisting of one, not two bones, as Galen incorrectly claimed.
Bloodletting Letter
In addition to this mini-rebellion, Vesalius also took part in a debate about venosection, or bloodletting. This technique has been regularly used to treat or alleviate the symptoms of patients. Doctors argued about where to make a vein incision - near the site of injury or at a distance from it. The discussion flared up because doctors relied on an Arabic translation of Galen's writings - his original Greek works were not available in Europe since the Roman Empire. However, the fall of Constantinople changed this situation. And the work of Galen could again be studied in the original. Doctors have found that the Greek text sometimes diverges from the Arabic translation that they have used for so long.
In 1539, at the age of 24, Vesalius wrote a letter about bloodletting. Without speaking on the side of any revolutionary changes, he again violated generally accepted practice by talking about his own observations, rather than quoting classical texts. Vesalius now firmly decided to seek the truth on his own, and not rely on the work of others.
The emergence of a new anatomy
In 1540, at the age of 25, Andrei Vesalius began working on an illustrated textbook on the anatomy of De humini corporus fabrica (“On the Structure of the Human Body”). This book has become his most significant work. In 1543, Vesalius took academic leave at the University of Padova. He traveled to Basel, Switzerland, to complete the preparation of the book for publication.
"On the structure of the human body" has become an impressive work of 700 pages in seven volumes. Its visual impact - over 270 breathtaking illustrations - was huge. In the second volume, for example, stunningly detailed images of people are presented, in a series of illustrations demonstrating the muscle structure of the body layer by layer. These drawings have probably become the most famous medical images in history.
It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the book that Andrei Vesalius wrote. The contribution to medicine was enormous. In addition, the work has become an important milestone in the history of art. Unfortunately, the name of the artist who worked with the scientist remains unknown. Images were accompanied by a description of muscle function.
Not surprisingly, given the wealth of illustrations and the sheer volume, the book was an expensive acquisition. It was intended for doctors, libraries and aristocrats. Realizing that others may be interested in his work, the author simultaneously released a practical, more accessible book with fewer drawings called Epitome. Andrei Vesalius in Epitome used much more male bodies for illustrations than female ones, probably because there were significantly more male executions than female criminals.
Fabrica became the founder of modern human anatomy science. She resolutely broke up with Galen and Hippocrates. Andrei Vesalius based his discoveries only on what he actually saw at the autopsy, and not on what he expected to see. Here are just a few of his statements:
- There is no bone at the base of the heart. Her description of Galen actually referred to cartilage at the base of the heart of a deer and other animals, which hardened as the beast grew older.
- The sternum consists of three, not seven parts, as Galen claimed, based on autopsies performed by the monkeys.
- The septum of the heart is not porous. There are no holes in it.
- The vena cava begins in the heart, and not in the liver, as Galen claimed.
- There is no such organ as rete mirabile - the "wonderful plexus" of the internal arteries, which supposedly led from the heart to the brain.
- Men and women have an equal number of ribs. Representatives of the stronger sex do not have an absent rib, as was commonly believed.
- Men and women have the same number of teeth. Galen claimed that the former had more.
Most readers greeted the book positively. She became a tabletop for serious anatomists and doctors. However, some doctors and scientists felt threatened, as they built their careers on the work of Galen, and attacked Vesalius.
For example, Jacob Silvius, who taught Andrei in Paris, described his former student as an arrogant and illiterate slanderer who treacherously attacked his teacher with an aggressive lie, distorting the truth of nature again and again. Saying this, he may have avenged his pupil in this way, who had previously said that the teaching methods of Sylvia, which consisted in studying the corpses of cats and dogs, and not humans, are not capable of leading to progress in the science of human anatomy.
Andrei Vesalius “On the structure of the human body” dedicated to the emperor Charles V. He also presented him with a special copy printed on parchment. And Vesalius dedicated the Epitome to Karl's son, Prince Philip.
Court Healer
When the emperor noticed a book authored by Andrei Vesalius, the biography of the scientist made another turn - he was appointed a doctor of the imperial family. He resigned as professor in Padua, becoming the fifth representative of the Vesalius dynasty, who was in the service of the court. As a life doctor, he had to serve in the army. When the war began, Vesalius was sent to the battlefield as a surgeon. Accustomed to working with corpses, he struggled to operate on living patients. An experienced surgeon Daza Chacon helped him learn how to quickly perform amputations.
In the winter of 1543, Vesalius came to Italy to perform in anatomical theaters, and then in the spring of 1544 returned to military service. He became an excellent surgeon. One of Vesalius' court duties was embalming the corpses of wealthy nobles who died in battle. This allowed him to conduct further anatomical studies, take notes and conduct observations.
In the middle of 1544, peace was declared. And Andrei Vesalius, the surgeon, returned to take care of the emperor and his court in a more comfortable environment. His reputation continued to grow as he received letters from doctors throughout Europe asking for advice in the most difficult cases.
In 1556, Emperor Charles V transferred power to his son Philip. In gratitude to Vesalius, who turned 41 years old, for his faithful service, Karl granted him a life-long pension and the aristocratic title of Count Palatine. The court physician continued to work, now in the service of Philip.
Pilgrimage
Andrei Vesalius accompanied Philip to Madrid, but there he did not enjoy life. Spanish doctors cured diseases by relying on planetary movements. The preparation of human bodies was prohibited. All this seemed rather backward. In addition, Philip preferred traditional medical methods of treatment, rather than modern scientific. It became clear to Vesalius that he would never become the head physician of the ruler.
In 1561, professor of anatomy Gabriele Fallopius, who occupied Andrei's former place at the University of Padua, sent him a copy of a book he wrote, entitled Observationes Anatomicae. In it, he commented on "On the structure of the human body", in a friendly way, pointing out some discrepancies between the work of Vesalius and his own later observations. He also made it clear that he was seriously ill.
In 1564, Fallopius died. The Department of Anatomy in Padua became vacant. In the same year, Vesalius left Spain, going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Various surviving sources claim that he was sent by Philip to make a pilgrimage as a sign of repentance. The emperor allegedly made this decision after a noble family informed the revolutionary anatomist in the Spanish Inquisition about the autopsy of a nobleman whose heart was still beating.
All these messages are based on a single source - a letter allegedly written in 1565 by diplomat Hubert Langet. It was most likely fabricated 50 years after the death of the anatomist. Andrei Vesalius, whose biography is not tainted by such facts (there are no primary documents confirming the charges against him), probably went on a pilgrimage trick to freely leave Philip’s courtyard in Spain and then return to Padua.
Personal life and demise
In 1544, Vesalius married the daughter of a wealthy adviser in Brussels, Anna van Hamm. They had one child, a girl who was born in 1545. Parents called her Anna. The family lived together most of the time. But when Vesalius went on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, his wife and daughter returned to Brussels.
The scientist got to Jerusalem, where he received a letter inviting him to accept the Department of Anatomy and Surgery at the University of Padua. Unfortunately, Andrei Vesalius, whose brief biography was tragically interrupted, never returned to Padua. . , , . . , , 49 . 15 1564 . .