ANATOMY DURING THE EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE 71 



C. Status of Human Dissection on the Continent 



During the Renaissance, more and more countries became in- 

 terested and involved in human anatomy. In each, the factors 

 miUtating against dissection were religious belief in a soul, super- 

 stition, faith in Galen and Avicenna, repugnancy of society and 

 the lack of proper methods to preserve the body. For many years 

 and even centuries, the standards of anatomizing remained identi- 

 cal everywhere. Before Vesalius, neither the teacher nor student 

 touched the cadaver. After Mondino, dissections became more 

 elaborate and ceremonious. The spiritual factor was not forgotten 

 since special rites were conferred upon the condemned before 

 execution to atone for the deed about to be performed upon his 

 body. High ranking officials and privileged citizens were sent spe- 

 cial invitations to attend. After all guests had taken their seats, 

 the Papal writ permitting the dissection was read aloud and the 

 seal of the university was offered to the corpse. 



Prior to the actual performance of the dissection, the subject's 

 head was removed because there was a prejudice against exposing 

 the brain, which according to the Christian concept was thought 

 to be the seat of the soul. During the evening following the com- 

 pletion of a dissection, which was perfunctory, a festive celebra- 

 tion was held with a banquet, concert and theatrical performance. 

 Many of the title pages of books written during the period, were 

 decorated with ornamental figures depicting both the gayety of 

 the dissection itself and the unmistakable finery of the time. 



The study of human anatomy, under the foregoing standards, 

 reached its peak in Italy in the last half of the 16th Century. 

 Magnificent, anatomical theatres were built to accommodate the 

 thousands of students who had become interested in the subject; 

 those at the Universities of Bologna and Padua were particularly 

 outstanding and beautiful. Other countries followed suit: the 

 Netherlands matched the standards in the Italian schools whereas 

 less ornateness was characteristic in France, Germany and England. 



In respect to suitable legalization of human dissection, which 

 would provide an ample number of cadavers for the teaching of 

 anatomy, the Continental countries fared better than England, 

 Scotland and Ireland. America had not developed sufficiently to 

 be considered but later it was to experience the same difficulties. 



