102 HUMAN DISSECTION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



Galen, whom he called the Prince of Physicians. In respect, to 

 the latter, he apparently had many anxious moments in chal- 

 lenging some of his concepts. Some historians have evaluated 

 Vesalius as outranking men in other fields: Copernicus, Galileo, 

 Torricelli, Pascal and Christopher Columbus. The reasoning be- 

 hind this judgment was that the first study of man is man and that 

 Vesalius had this object in view and admirably attained it; by 

 acquiring fresh knowledge of his own structure, man has been 

 able to expand his existence (Portal, 1770, quoted from Ball, 

 '10). There is little doubt that modern medicine begins with 

 the publication of the Fabrica. 



Vesalius was violently criticized by the numerous Galenists 

 of the era. Leading the attack, was his former teacher, Sylvius. 

 He spoke of Vesalius as a madman, as a Vesanus, whose pesti- 

 lential breath poisoned Europe. Others included Realdus Co- 

 lumbus, Dryander, Eustachius and Fallopius. Even his friends 

 were dubious about his results and serious discussions were held 

 on both sides. In the end, the Galenists were completely over- 

 thrown. 



F. Vesalius (1543-1564) 



Vesalius had felt it necessary to take a years leave of absence 

 from Padua, in order to assist Oporinus, the printer, in Basel, 

 with the publication of the Fabrica. When he returned to the 

 University in late 1543, he found that his book had fermented 

 extreme opposition, particularly in his former pupil and friend, 

 Realdus Columbus, who was then lecturing in anatomy. This de- 

 veloped into a personal and bitter controversy between the 

 two, creating wounds which were never healed. Other Galenists 

 joined Columbus in violently attacking Vesalius in an effort to 

 sully his reputation. 



Apparently, the atmosphere at Padua was so uncongenial 

 and hostile that Vesalius went to Pisa early in 1544, where he is 

 known to have conducted an anatomy. From there, he moved 

 to Bologna and made some special dissections upon two human 

 subjects. The University of Pisa offered him a chair which he 

 refused. It was at tliis moment that Vesalius, apparently at low 

 ebb, suddenly and perhaps impulsively decided to end his scien- 



