35() Dr Craigie's Observations on the 



went to the court of Charles V. in 1542*. From a passage in 

 the 1 5th book of his treatise De Re Jnatomica, in which he 

 states that he had taught at the date of its publication, 1559, 

 for fifteen years, it must be inferred that he did not enter on 

 the duties of professor at Padua till 1544. Hei-c he appears to 

 have continued for two years only, when he was appointed, in 

 1546, to the Theatre of Pisa, and where he was still teacher in 

 1548. After this period he is stated by some to have taught 

 in Florence, but this is doubtful ; and all that can be regarded 

 as certain, is, that he was invited to Rome, where he taught for 

 several years, and while resident at which, he published at Ve- 

 nice, in 1559, the work above mentioned, inscribed to Paul IV. 

 Not much less doubt hangs over the period of his death than 

 over that of his' birth. The Abbe Marini has adduced a strong 

 body of evidence to show that he died the very year in which 

 he publishedhis treatise, 1559, even before the impression was 

 completed ; and to this opinion Tiraboschi is inclined. Fabrucci, 

 on the other hand, proves that he was living in 1564; and by 

 others, as Hallcr and Portal, he is said to have died only in 

 1577. These circumstances, though insignificant in themselves, 

 it is important to determine ; with the view of estimating the 

 justice of his claims to certain discoveries. The principal point 

 to be kept in view is, that his treatise was first published, not 

 at Rome, as stated by Tiraboschi, but at Venice in 1559. 



The assiduity of Columbus in the acquisition of anatomical 

 knowledge was very great ; and he assures us that in the course 

 of a single year he dissected fourteen bodies*, — a very great 

 number for that period, and considering the prejudices, which 

 still existed against the dissection of the human subject. In 

 these researches he studied not only healthy anatomy, but al- 

 lowed no morbid deviation; or anomaly in structure, to escape 

 his notice. He is further distinguished for his assiduous stj.idy 

 of physiology by the dissection of living animals. - 



• " Etenim cum Vesalius abesset ac diutius in Gprmania detineretur, ut 

 opus suum de huniani corporis fabrica imprimendum curaret ; me turn Vene- 

 tiis primario chirurgo ac praeceptori meo Joanni Antonio Leonico, gravi mor- 

 bo laboranti, omni officio ; c potius pietate assistentem, universa schola Pa- 

 lavina dignum judicavit quem in Vesalii locum sufficeret, ac non contemnendo 

 prsemio accersivit." — Lib. i. caj). 19. 



+ " Anno uno quatuordecim cadavera uiilii dissecare contigit."— Lib. xv. 



