Andreas Vesalius and the brain: limitations of De humani corporis fabrica libri septem and some comments on the matter

S. Giménez-Roldán
Neurosciences and History 2020;8(3):76-86

Type of article: ORIGINAL

AUTHOR

S. Giménez-Roldán
Department of Neurology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) was the great innovator in Renaissance anatomy, after centuries of medieval obscurantism. In his magnum opus, De humani corporis fabrica, the part dedicated to the brain (liber septimus) has been criticised as the most deficient and as a possible source of errors.

Material and methods. I consulted the 1997 Spanish translation of the 1555 edition of De fabrica, based on a copy held at the National Library of Spain; this was the first Spanish translation of the work.

Results. Unlike Galen of Pergamon in the second century CE, whose anatomical studies were based on animals, Vesalius defended human dissection, conducting these studies himself without the help of assistants. To study the brain, he left the organ inside the cranial cavity and performed a series of transverse cuts beginning at the top of the brain. While the first sheets in liber septimus present the perfection that characterises his work, the rough sketches of the lower slices barely define the anatomical structures.

Discussion. The illustrations of the brain in De fabrica liber septimus do not present errors, but rather are conditioned by insurmountable limitations related to decomposition. Noting the need for fresh material, Vesalius convinced judges and influential figures to schedule hangings at the times most convenient to him; this constitutes an example of corruption for scientific purposes.

KEYWORDS

Vesalius, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, neuroanatomy, brain

Neurosciences and History 2020;8(3):76-86