92 HUMAN DISSECTION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



The field of human structure appealed to Vesalius in his boy- 

 hood, and for this pursuit, his powers of observations were more 

 than adequate. At first, he tried to learn anatomy by reading 

 several texts (Albertus Magnus and Michael Scatus) but decided 

 this was a poor way to absorb and imderstand the factual knowl- 

 edge pertaining to the subject. He ventured on a practical pro- 

 gram of dissection, obtaining animals which were easy to catch: 

 mice, moles, rats, dogs and cats. 



C. Vesalius in Paris 



Vesalius, desiring to follow the profession of his ancestors, 

 selected the University of Paris for his medical education. Hi 

 reached there in the year of 1533 at the time when the Frenchl 

 capital was the acknowledged Mecca of the medical world. Thej 

 reputation of the institution had attracted a great many youn^ 

 men, some from the most remote parts of Europe. Medicine was 

 being taught there by such eminent professors as Jacobus Sylvius,] 

 Jean Fernel and Joannes Guinterius. Of the trio, it was the first] 

 who had the best reputation; he had studied under Jean Fagaultj 

 a famous Parisian practitioner and surgical author. A resume oi 

 his unusual life has already been given. 



Guinterius (1478-1574) was a colorful figure in his own right.) 

 Born of very humble parents, in Andernach, Germany, neai 

 Coblenz, he was sent to the University of Utrecht, at an earh 

 age. Because of his poverty-stricken condition, he was forced t< 

 leave that educational institution. He migrated to Deventer, Hol-I 

 land where he found it necessary to beg in the streets in ordei 

 to survive. Apparently, he was able to accumulate enough fundsl 

 to matriculate at the University of Marburg where his brilliancej 

 and talents were recognized and where he was treated with re- 

 spect. After teaching in the small town of Gosler, he made a bij 

 academic jump to the chair of Greek in the lanious University 

 of Louvain. 



Guinterius went to Paris to study medicine in 1525, eight 

 years prior to the arrival of Vesalius; he received his Bachelor' 

 degree in 1528 and his full medical title two years later. He W2 

 brillant in his final examinations and received the accolades oi 



