Vesalius, Andreas, << vih SAY lee uhs, ahn DREH ahs >> (1514-1564), a Flemish anatomist and physician, made important contributions to the study of human anatomy. His book On the Structure of the Human Body, or Fabrica (1543), was the first manual of human anatomy with clear and detailed illustrations. Vesalius is often called the founder of human anatomy.
Vesalius was born on Dec. 31, 1514, in Brussels, in what is now Belgium. At the age of 23, he became a professor of anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua in Padua, Italy. An innovative teacher, Vesalius performed dissections on human corpses as he taught. The traditional method of instruction had been for the teacher to read from a prepared text while an assistant did the dissection. Vesalius also popularized the use of drawings to help make anatomy lectures more easily understood.
Vesalius had been trained in anatomy from the widely accepted writings of Galen, a physician who practiced medicine in the A.D. 100’s. However, through his many dissections, Vesalius found errors in Galen’s theories. In Fabrica, Vesalius corrected many of these theories, including Galen’s description of the sternum (breastbone). The book also contains the first accurate descriptions of the small bones of the head and ear, and excellent illustrations of the muscles and skeleton. Many of the illustrations were drawn by skilled artists. Modern anatomy textbooks are modeled on Fabrica. Later in his career, Vesalius served as physician to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and to Philip II of Spain. Vesalius died on Oct. 15, 1564.
