PEOPLE

Ambroise Paré, fragment of the engraving portrait dated 1582. Credit: Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire de Santé, Paris.
Paré, Ambroise

Ambroise Paré (1510-1590), considered to be 'père de la chirurgie française' (father of French surgery).

Lorenz Heister German surgeon and anatomist 18 century
Heister, Lorenz

Lorenz Heister, an 18th-century prominent German surgeon, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the University of Altdorf, Germany. He authored influential books translated into multiple languages, leaving a lasting impact on medical education, including famous "Chirurgie, in welcher alles was zur Wund Artzney gehöret, nach der neuesten und besten Art, gründlich abgehandelt wird." translated in all main European languages.

Nikolay Pirogov painted by Ilya Repin in 1881
Pirogov, Nikolay Ivanovich

Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (Russian: Николай Иванович Пирогов; 25.11.1810 – 5.12.1881) was a renowned Russian surgeon, "The father of Russian field surgery" and "The father of Russian topography anatomy", scientist, professor of surgery, publicist and author. Pirogov promoted surgical anaesthesia in Russia, was the first who describe some negative effects and possible complications of general anaesthesia. He was one of the first introducing ether anaesthesia on the battlefield.

da Vinci, Leonardo

Leonardo da Vinci was, besides of everything else, outstanding anatomist. However, his wonderful works did not influence contemporary science.

MUSEUM

Bo Palace courtyard
Bo Palace (Palazzo del Bo e Teatro Anatomico), Padua

Italy, Padua

Bo Palace (Palazzo del Bo) is the central piece of the Paduan University. Established in 1222, the University of Padua is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Its Medical Faculty has been a leading institution for medical studies for centuries. Perhaps the most famous alumnus of the Medical Faculty is Andreas Vesalius, who is often referred to as the father of modern human anatomy. He studied and later taught at Padua, and his seminal work, "De humani corporis fabrica" (On the Fabric of the Human Body, 1543) was a groundbreaking text in anatomy. The Anatomical Theatre of Padua, built in 1594 during tenure of Girolamo Fabrici d’Acquapendente, is the oldest surviving anatomy theatre in the world. It was here that many important dissections and lectures took place, attracting students from across Europe is the place for 16th-century Anatomy Theatre. Another famous alumni of the University was William Harvey, who discovered blood circulation.

Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN)
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN)

Italy, Naples

Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Articles

De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1555) by Andreas Vesalius, photo by Christie's
A wonderful transformation of the Ugly Duckling

The story of how the second edition of the book De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, by Flemish Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), desecrated by numerous marginal notes, became one of the most outstanding examples of scientific printing that has come down to us has shocked the world of medical history and bibliography. This book, first published in 1543, then revolutionised anatomy and, among of others, commented on about 200 mistakes and misconceptions of the infallible authority, Claudius Galenus, questioning more than a thousand years of anatomical beliefs. It is no wonder that the young genius (Andreas Vesalius was only 29 years old when by publishing his Opus magnum) faced not just significant opposition, but fierce hatred, a real mass shitstorm for questioning established views, rocking the comfortable chairs of professorial chairs.