Resumo de On The Working Of Human Body

The knowledge of anatomy was in rudimentary state unto the
sixteenth century because of reservations of Catholic
Church on the experiment of human specimen. The ultimate
authority on the working of human body was Galen ?the
famous Greek physician who had combined the knowledge of
Aristotle, himself and his contemporaries to create a
system that explained both structure and function of human
body.

Europeans got Galen?s work in somewhat modified form as it
was translated from Arabic-who kept his knowledge living
after the fall of Rome But in the medical schools of Paris
and Bologna, they treated it as the Bible of both
Anatomy and Physiology. Experimentations and in-depth
investigations were totally out of fashion until
Vesalius.A ?a Flemish Anatomist pointed out certain
lacunae in the Great master?s work.

While pursuing a teaching career at the university of
Padua ,where he dissected corpses to explain the finer
details of body he found that human breastbone is a three
segment structure but Galen had described it as seven -
piece body. According to Galen humerus ?the upper arm bone
was the second longest bone in human body next to femur.
Vesalius.s practical experience showed that humerus was
fourth longest bone after femur ,tibia and fibula.

While preaching his newer findings the logical man
Vesalius did not discredit his predecessor Galen. He
conceded that Galen did not have the benefit of dissecting
the human body due to Church restrictions and his knowledge
was derived from animals like Barbary macaques, oxen and
limited exposure of human body from his patients. To prove
his point, he used to dissect human body as well as
Barbary macaques to show the origin of Galen?s error.

Once accepted as a master, Vesalius devoted his energy to
rewriting the human anatomy and creating charts and models
for the benefit of the medical scholars. He worked with the
craftsmen and dratsmen from Venice to produce model and
charts to elaborate his findings. In 1943 he published his
book The frabric of the human body ?commonly known as
Fabrica Even today it is considered as a masterwork and
launched a new field of experimentation at its
time.Anatomist started making observations for themselves
rather than quoting from books.

By pointing that human anatomy was similar in certain
respect to that of animals Vegalius had given impetus to
another field of research.; Comparative Anatomy.
Observations revealed that human beings are one of the
species of greater vertebrates with some unique feature.
Darwin used the initial thread and vast knowledge bank
developed by him, some 300 years later to develop his
theory of evolution.

Of the many achievements Vesalius was credited with some
had revolutionized treatment. He negated Galens idea that
blood moved from one side of the to the other side through
a hole called septum. He helped to establish Surgery as a
separate discipline.

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