48 HUMAN DISSECIION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



The most damaging blow struck against Herophilus in this 

 respect was by Tertullian (A.D. 155-222), one of the most learned 

 fathers of the early Christian Church. He is quoted as follows: 

 "Herophilus, that physician, or rather butcher, who dissected 600 

 men, in order to find out nature; who hated man, in order to learn 

 the structures of his frame; could not, by these means, come to a 

 more perfect knowledge of his internal structure, since death pro- 

 duces a great change in all the parts, so as to render their appear- 

 ance after death different from what it was before; especially since 

 they did not die a natural death, but expired amidst all the ago- 

 nies to which the curiosity of the anatomist was pleased to subject 

 them" (Fisher, 1881a). 



In the final analysis, the accusations of Celsus, Tertullian and 

 others, on this question have never been proved by eyewitness 

 accounts and the answer, therefore, will always remain specula- 

 tive. The evidence seems to be clear that condemned criminals 

 became the first subjects utilized for "anatomies." This established 

 a precedent or stigma to the practice which had subsequent, far- 

 reaching psychological effects (Singer, '28). 



The most noteworthy studies of Herophilus were made on 

 the brain and he applied names to certain parts of it, some of 

 which are still accepted in translated form, such as the Torcular 

 Herophili, or confluens sinuum. This indicates that he was in- 

 terested in the vascular system. He classified the brain as the vital 

 center of the nervous system, being the only seat of intelligence. 

 Thus, he took issue with Aristotle, who had localized this func- 

 tion in the heart. He also differentiated sensory and motor nerves 

 and described the ventricular system of the encephalon. Outside 

 of the nervous system, he studied the rhythrhic beatings of the 

 heart, named both the first part of the small intestine and the 

 prostate; he also examined the complicated structure of the eye 

 and the female anatomy of the pelvis. In the last field, he was 

 the foremost authority of his time. The liver and spleen were like- 

 wise distinguished. 



Not much is known of the latter part of the life of Heroph- 

 ilus and nothing of his death. Later writers were familiar with 

 his works largely through the subsequent publications of Galen; 

 only fragments of the originals of Herophilus have survived. 



