THEME 2-IT´S WHAT´S INSIDE THAT COUNTS
, LECTURE I- Dissecting out the facts
1-The Renaissance
It means the rebirth or revival and happened around 1400-1750.
Medical advances stem from ancient ideas of the Romans and Greeks. Interestingly, as with many breakthroughs, very little
of the knowledge gained, helped the people of the time. It was the coming together of several factors that allowed
Renaissance medicine to flourish.
1.1-Major factors in Renaissance medicine
Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church: Galen’s theory of the four humours was disproved and the church controlled
most of the teaching within the universities.
The invention of the printing press: allowed news and information to spread quickly and not be held within the monasteries in
which they were written
The invention of the microscope and other instruments: instrument quality is intrinsically linked with science
The discovery of new lands allowed pharmacists to make new medicines (Christopher Columbus)
Several key people: Andreas Vesalius, William Harvey, Ambroise Paré.
1.2-Galen´s ideas came to an end
Claudius Galen (AD 129 – about AD 210): He used monkeys to study human anatomy and some of his ideas were right:
nerves control muscles, venous and arterial blood are different, he could surgically remove cataracts. But some were wrong:
he continues Hippocrates’ bodily humours theory, venous blood is pumped by the liver, arterial blood originated in the heart,
blood was “consumed” by the organs.
1.3-The Reformation
Began in Europe in 1517 with the aim of reforming the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
Martin Luther was a German priest who started the reformation: this was largely due to him going against the church selling
indulgences to raise money
Affected medical sciences: destroyed the ideas of Galen as the church no longer had control over much of the learning
Mainly through the printing press and the speed at which teachings could be distributed
The church could do little to stop the spread of knowledge in light of this invention
2-The printing press
Allowed discoveries to be communicated quickly. It also allowed the printing of detailed anatomical drawings far more
quickly than hand-copying as had been previously carried out.
De humani corporis fabrica by Andreas Vesalius was published in 1543.
2.1-Andrea Vesalius
Flemish anatomist who revolutionised anatomical misconceptions made by Galen. He used dissections as a tool in it’s own
right
Prior to Vesalius, these topics had been taught from classic texts (e.g. Galen) along with animal dissections carried out by
barber surgeons. He would keep highly detailed drawings of his work
1539 – a judge came across Vaselius’ work and allowed the use of executed criminals for dissection. Prior to this Vesalius
would secretly use executed prisoners for his dissections
This accelerated Vesalius’ discoveries until he published one of his most famous works – De Corporis Fabrica (1543).
Vesalius also attempted to understand the body systems, some of this was based on Galens work, e.g. He never challenged
concepts like blood being consumed by the organs.
, LECTURE I- Dissecting out the facts
1-The Renaissance
It means the rebirth or revival and happened around 1400-1750.
Medical advances stem from ancient ideas of the Romans and Greeks. Interestingly, as with many breakthroughs, very little
of the knowledge gained, helped the people of the time. It was the coming together of several factors that allowed
Renaissance medicine to flourish.
1.1-Major factors in Renaissance medicine
Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church: Galen’s theory of the four humours was disproved and the church controlled
most of the teaching within the universities.
The invention of the printing press: allowed news and information to spread quickly and not be held within the monasteries in
which they were written
The invention of the microscope and other instruments: instrument quality is intrinsically linked with science
The discovery of new lands allowed pharmacists to make new medicines (Christopher Columbus)
Several key people: Andreas Vesalius, William Harvey, Ambroise Paré.
1.2-Galen´s ideas came to an end
Claudius Galen (AD 129 – about AD 210): He used monkeys to study human anatomy and some of his ideas were right:
nerves control muscles, venous and arterial blood are different, he could surgically remove cataracts. But some were wrong:
he continues Hippocrates’ bodily humours theory, venous blood is pumped by the liver, arterial blood originated in the heart,
blood was “consumed” by the organs.
1.3-The Reformation
Began in Europe in 1517 with the aim of reforming the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
Martin Luther was a German priest who started the reformation: this was largely due to him going against the church selling
indulgences to raise money
Affected medical sciences: destroyed the ideas of Galen as the church no longer had control over much of the learning
Mainly through the printing press and the speed at which teachings could be distributed
The church could do little to stop the spread of knowledge in light of this invention
2-The printing press
Allowed discoveries to be communicated quickly. It also allowed the printing of detailed anatomical drawings far more
quickly than hand-copying as had been previously carried out.
De humani corporis fabrica by Andreas Vesalius was published in 1543.
2.1-Andrea Vesalius
Flemish anatomist who revolutionised anatomical misconceptions made by Galen. He used dissections as a tool in it’s own
right
Prior to Vesalius, these topics had been taught from classic texts (e.g. Galen) along with animal dissections carried out by
barber surgeons. He would keep highly detailed drawings of his work
1539 – a judge came across Vaselius’ work and allowed the use of executed criminals for dissection. Prior to this Vesalius
would secretly use executed prisoners for his dissections
This accelerated Vesalius’ discoveries until he published one of his most famous works – De Corporis Fabrica (1543).
Vesalius also attempted to understand the body systems, some of this was based on Galens work, e.g. He never challenged
concepts like blood being consumed by the organs.
