Today we will talk about such a great scientist as Andreas Vesalius. You will find a photo and biography of him in this article. If you can consider someone 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 autopsy. It is from him that all later achievements in anatomy originate.
In a very difficult time, Andreas Vesalius worked. The age in which he lived was marked by the dominance of the church in all areas of life, including medicine. Autopsies were forbidden, 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 have been much less if he had not risked overstepping prohibitions and traditions. But, like many who were ahead of their time, he paid the price for his bold ideas.
Do you want to know more about such a great man as Andreas Vesalius, whose contribution to biology is invaluable? We invite you to get to knowthem closer by reading this article.
The Origin of Vesalius
Andreas Vesalius (years of life 1514-1564) belongs to the Viting family, who lived in Nimwegen for a long time. Several generations of his family were medical scientists. For example, Andreas' great-great-grandfather, Peter, was the rector and professor at the University of Louvain, the physician of Emperor Maximilian himself. Being a bibliophile and fond of treatises on medicine, he spared no expense in acquiring manuscripts, spending 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' 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, John's son and Andreas's grandfather, also followed in his father's footsteps, realizing himself in medicine. Andreas, father of Andreas Vesalius, served as an apothecary to Charles V's aunt, Princess Margaret. 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, Andreas Vesalius was born. 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 in this family from generation to generation. He developed an interest in this field of knowledge. It should be said that Andreas was unusually erudite. He memorized all the discoveries made by different authors and commented on them in his writings.
Study at the University of Louvain and the College of Education
Andreas received a classical education in Brussels at the age of 16. 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 French Revolution began. Students began to study there again in 1817. Here they taught Latin and Greek, rhetoric and mathematics. In order to advance in science, it was necessary to know the languages of antiquity well. Andreas, dissatisfied with teaching, moved in 1531 to the Pedagogical College, which was founded in 1517 in Louvain.
Vesalius' classes in Paris
Pretty early, the future scientist Andreas Vesalius became interested in anatomy. With great enthusiasm in his spare time, Andreas dissected the corpses of domestic animals and dissected them. Nicholas Florin, a friend of his father and court physician, recommended that the young man go to Paris to study medicine. Later, in 1539, Andreas dedicated the Bloodletting Epistle to this man, in which he called him the second father.
So, Vesalius goes to Paris in 1533 to study medicine. He has been studying anatomy here for 3-4 years, listening to lectures by the Italian doctor Guido-Guidi, 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. Sylvius lectured brilliantly. Vesalius also listened to Fernel, who was called the best doctor in Europe.
However, Andreas was not limited to lecturesthese two physicians. He also studied with Johann Günther, who taught surgery and anatomy in Paris. He had previously lectured in Greek at the University of Louvain before moving to Paris (in 1527) where he studied anatomy. Vesalius established a cordial relationship with Gunther.
Difficulties associated with autopsy
For anatomical research, 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 has traditionally rebelled against him. Probably Herophilus was the only doctor who opened up corpses and was not persecuted for it. Vesalius, carried away by scientific interest, went to the cemetery of the Innocents. He also came to the place of execution of Villar de Montfaucon, where he challenged the corpse of this abbot with stray dogs.
In 1376, at the University of Montpellier, where anatomy was the main subject, doctors received permission to open the corpse of an executed criminal every year. This permission was given to them by the brother of Charles V, Louis of Anjou, who was the ruler of 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 by Charles VIII. In 1496, the latter confirmed it with a letter.
Return to Louvain, continued exploration
Vesalius, having spent more than 3 years in Paris, returned to Louvain. Here he continued to study anatomy with Gemma Frisia, his friend, who later became a famous doctor. Make the first connected skeletonAndreas Vesalius faced great difficulties. Together with his friend, he stole the corpses of the executed, sometimes extracting them in parts. With danger to his life, Andreas climbed the gallows. At night, friends hid body parts in roadside bushes, after which, using various occasions, they delivered them home. At home, soft tissues were cut off, and the bones were boiled. All this had to be done in the strictest secrecy. The attitude towards official autopsies was quite different. Adrian of Blegen, burgomaster of Louvain, did not interfere with them. On the contrary, he patronized young doctors, sometimes attended autopsies.
Disputes with Driver
Andreas Vesalius was arguing with Driver, a lecturer at the University of Louvain, about how bloodletting should be done. Two opposing opinions have developed on this issue. Galen and Hippocrates taught that bloodletting should be done from the side of the diseased organ. Avicenna and the Arabs believed that this should be done from the opposite side. Driver supported Avicena, and Andreas supported Galen and Hippocrates. Driver was indignant at the audacity of the young doctor. However, he responded sharply. After that, Driver began to treat Vesalius with hostility. Andreas felt that it would be difficult for him to continue working in Louvain.
Vesalius leaves for Venice
It was necessary to go somewhere for a while. But where? Spain falls away - 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, it was also very difficult to study anatomy. So Vesalius went to Venicerepublic. He was attracted by the possibility of some freedom for his anatomical studies. Founded in 1222, the University of Padua became subject to Venice in 1440. The most famous medical school in Europe was its medical faculty. Padua welcomed such a promising scientist as Andreas Vesalius, whose main achievements were known to his professors.
Andreas becomes a professor
December 5, 1537 The University of Padua awarded Vesalius at a solemn meeting a doctorate degree, with the highest honors. And after Andreas demonstrated the autopsy, he was appointed professor of surgery. The duties of Vesalius 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 waving flags, to the sound of trumpets, Andreas was appointed doctor at the court of the Bishop of Padua himself.
Vesalius had an active nature. He could not come to terms with the routine that dominated the anatomy departments of various universities. Many professors simply monotonously read excerpts from the writings of Galen. Autopsies were performed by illiterate ministers, and lecturers stood next to the volume of Galen in their hands and from time to time pointed at various organs with a stick.
The first works of Vesalius
Vesalius in 1538 published anatomical tables. They were six sheets of drawings. The engravings were made by S. Kalkar, a student of Titian. In the same year, Vesalius republished the works of Galen. A year later, there appearedhis own composition, 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 dissection of animals. In this way, erroneous information was transmitted, which was legitimized by tradition and time. Studying the human body through autopsies, Vesalius accumulated facts that he boldly opposed to generally accepted canons.
About the structure of the human body
Andreas Vesalius for 4 years, while he was in Padua, wrote an immortal work called "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 photo of the cover of the work is presented above) gave a description of the structure of various systems and organs, pointed out many mistakes made by his predecessors, including Galen. It should be especially noted that the authority of Galen after the appearance of this treatise was shaken, and after a while it was completely overthrown.
The work of Vesalius marked the beginning of modern anatomy. In this work, for the first time in history, a completely scientific, and not speculative, description of the structure of the human body was given, which was based on 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. AvlCornelius Celsus, "Cicero of medicine" and "Latin Hippocrates".
Andreas brought uniformity to anatomical terminology. With rare exceptions, he threw out of it all the barbarisms of the Middle Ages. At the same time, he minimized the number of Grecisms. This can be explained to some extent by Vesalius's rejection of many of the provisions of Galen's medicine.
It is noteworthy that Andreas, being an innovator in anatomy, believed that the carriers of the mental are "animal spirits" produced in the ventricles of the brain. Such a notion was reminiscent of Galen's theory, as these "spirits" were simply the re-named "psychic pneuma" that the ancients wrote about.
About the structure of the human brain
"On the structure of the human brain" - another work of Vesalius. This is the result of his study of the achievements of his predecessors in the field of anatomy. However, not only him. Andreas Vesalius placed the results of his own research in this book. Their contribution to science was much more important than the value of describing the achievements of their predecessors. In the essay, a scientific discovery was made, which was based on new methods of study. They were essential to the development of science at that time.
Diplomatically lavishing praises on Galen and marveling at the versatility of his knowledge and vastness of mind, Vesalius pointed out only "inaccuracies" in the teachings of this physician. However, there were a total of more than 200 of them. In essence, they are a refutation of the most important provisionsGalen's teachings.
In particular, Vesalius was the first to disprove his opinion that a person has holes in the heart septum through which blood allegedly passes from the right ventricle to the left. Andreas showed that the left and right ventricles do 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. Only Harvey succeeded later.
The ill-fated pamphlet Sylvia
A long-brewing storm erupted after the publication of this great work by Andreas Vesalius. His teacher, Silvius, always considered the authority of Galen to be indisputable. 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 "slanderer", "proud", "monster", whose breath infects all of Europe. Sylvius' students supported their teacher. They also spoke out against Andreas, calling him a blasphemer and an ignoramus. However, Sylvius did not limit himself to insults alone. He wrote in 1555 a scathing pamphlet called "Refutation of the slander of a certain madman …". In 28 chapters, Silvius wittily ridicules his former friend and student and disowns him.
This pamphlet played a fatal role in the fate of the great scientist, who was Andreas Vesalius. His biography would probably have been supplemented by many further interesting discoveries in the field of anatomy, if not for this document,imbued with jealous envy and malice. He united his enemies and created an atmosphere of public contempt around the name of Vesalius. Andreas was accused of being disrespectful to the teachings of Galen and Hippocrates. These scholars were not formally canonized by the Catholic Church, which was all-powerful at the time. However, their authority and judgment were accepted as the truths of Holy Scripture. Therefore, an objection to them was equated with a rejection of the latter. Vesalius, moreover, was a student of Silvius. Therefore, if Sylvius reproached his ward for slander, the accusation incriminating him seemed plausible.
Note that Andreas's teacher defended the authority of Galen not disinterestedly. The indignation of the scientist was due to the fact that Vesalius, undermining the reputation of Galen, destroyed Silvius himself, since his knowledge was based on the texts of the classics of medicine, carefully studied and transmitted to students.
The further fate of the pulpit Andreas
Vesalius was mortally wounded by a pamphlet by Silvius. Andreas Vesalius could not recover from this blow, whose biography from that moment was marked by many difficulties that our hero had to face.
In Padua, there was opposition to the views of Andreas. 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 the students.
Vesalius left Padua in1544. After that, Colombo was appointed to the Department of Anatomy. However, he only served as its professor for a year. In 1545 Colombo moved to the University of Pisa. And in 1551 he took the chair in Rome and worked in this city until his death. Gabriel Fallopius succeeded Colombo in the chair of Padua. He declared himself the disciple and heir of Vesalius and honorably continued his tradition.
Vesalius enters royal service
Andreas Vesalius, the founder of scientific anatomy, was driven to despair by the malicious fabrications of Sylvius. He had to stop research work. In addition, Vesalius burned some of the materials and manuscripts collected for his future works. In 1544, he was forced to switch to medical practice, entering the service of Charles V, who at that time was at war with France. As a military surgeon, Vesalius was supposed to go with him to the theater of operations.
In September 1544 the war ended. Andreas went to Brussels. Vesalius' father soon died here. After the death of his father, the scientist inherited, and he started a family. Charles V arrived in Brussels in January 1545. Andreas was to become his attending physician. Carl suffered from gout. He ate very immoderately. The doctor Andreas Vesalius made great efforts to alleviate his suffering.
In 1555 Charles V abdicated. Vesalius began to serve Philip II, his son. The latter moved from Brussels to Madrid in 1559 with his court, and Andreas and his family followed him.
Pilgrimage to Palestine, death
Vesalius began to be mercilessly pursued by the Spanish Inquisition. He was accused of slaughtering a living person during the preparation of a corpse. Andreas Vesalius, whose contribution to medicine was enormous, was sentenced to death. Only thanks to the intercession of the king, she was replaced by another punishment - a pilgrimage to Palestine. Vesalius was to go to the Holy Sepulcher. It was a difficult and dangerous journey at the time.
Even when returning home, Andreas's ship crashed at the entrance to the Strait of Corinth. The scientist was thrown out on about. Zante. Here he fell seriously ill. On October 2, 1564, at the age of 50, the famous physician died. Andreas Vesalius was buried on 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.
