ANDREAS VESALIUS-A.D. 1514 to 1564 91 



and best illustrated treatise on anatomy the world had seen. 

 Probably no other piece of writing in the history of medicine 

 precipitated such stirring, mental reactions, both positive and 

 negative. A wide range of emotions were aroused and were slow 

 in declining. It was with a scalpel, the hand of an artist and 

 the above human traits that Vesalius created probably the great- 

 est revolution in medicine. He has been called the "Luther of 

 Anatomy." 



B. Early Life 



Andreas Vesalius was born in Brussels on the last day of 

 tiie year in 1514 uqder astrological conditions which were judged 

 to be ra\orable by one Jerome Cardan. The placenta and caul 

 of his afterbirth were carefully preserved by his mother who, 

 along with most others, ascribed remarkable, magical powers to 

 them. Cardan, an Italian practitioner and mathematician, whose 

 real name was Geronimo Cardano (1501-1576) evidently believed 

 in astrology, as did many other doctors of his day. 



For four generations, at least, the male forbears of Vesalius 

 had been interested in medicine and had occupied high positions 

 in the royal court of Belgium. Some were noted for their literary 

 flare. Vesalius' father served as an apothecary to Charles V 

 and Margaret of Austria; he accompanied the illustrious Emperor 

 upon numerous journeys and military expeditions. His mother, 

 whose maiden name was Isabella Crabbe, had unbounded faith 

 in her son, believed he was destined to accomplish great things, 

 and exerted considerable influence over him. It was she who pre- 

 served the manuscripts and books of her husband's ancestors and 

 made them available to Vesalius. She undoubtedly instilled into 

 him the traditions of the family, their accomplishments in the 

 field of letters and medicine, as well as the importance of their 

 service and loyalty to their sovereigns. 



The early life of Vesalius is shadowed with some obscurity. 

 It is on record that he attended the University of Louvain, lo- 

 cated a few miles from his home, which in the number of its 

 students, ranked second to the University of Paris; there, he 

 studied the ancient languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic) 

 with facility, and this background stood him in good stead in 



Kter literary controversies. 



