300 Dr Craigie's Observations on the 



able to acquire the first principles of the science. Thouglr 

 Dubois is represented by Riolan to have the merit of being the 

 first to'dissect the human body in France, his conduct and ge- 

 neral character give confirmation to several of the charges of 

 Vesalius. A bigoted and indiscriminate admiration of the works 

 of Galen made him substitute the interpretation of the descrip- 

 tions of that author for actual demonstration ; and it is easy to 

 trace some of the bold contradictions with which he wished to 

 overwhelm Vesalius to his confidence in Galen, in opposition to 

 truth, and to his jealousy of the rising talents of that anatomist. 

 This conduct was extremely pernicious both to human and to ani- 

 mal anatomy ; and when it was afterwards seen that Vesalius was 

 in the right, the reputation of Dubois suffered, and the dissec- 

 tion of dogs and pigs became the subject of ridicule and contempt. 

 On this account, the few observations which Dubois made on 

 the ligaments of the colon in the ape and other animals, possess 

 little value. ^ 



A much more honourable character is due to Charles Etiemie^ 

 a younger brother of the celebrated printer, and son to Henry, 

 who latinized the family name by the classical appellation of 

 Stephen (Srsfpavo?). Though sprung of a family whose classical 

 taste has been their greatest distinction, Etienne cannot be 

 charged with the servile imitation of the Galenian anatomy whicll' 

 Dubois betrays. This originality enabled him to recognise the 

 interarticular fibro-cartilages of the temporo-mammillary and fe- 

 moro-tibial articulations, several of the ligaments, the valves of 

 the veins, which he denominates apophyses venarum, and to 

 distinguish the pneumogastric nerve from the great sympathe- 

 tic. Though his knowledge of the brain is inferior to that 

 of Achillini, his researches into the structure of the nervous sys- 

 tem are neither unprofitable nor inglorious ; and the circumstance 

 of demonstrating a canal through the spinal chord, which has 

 escaped the notice not only of his contemporaries, but his succes- 

 sors, till M. Senac made it known, is sufficient to entitle him to 

 a respectable place among the list of anatomical observers. He 

 is not much known as an animal anatomist ; but the fact now 

 mentioned shows that h^ dissected the lower animals, in which 

 only, and in the human foetus, this canal is distinct. 



It is painful to think that so much merit was unable to afford 



