CHRONOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS ON HUMAN DISSECTION 263 



three editions. The first incident of resurrecting a body probably 

 occurred during this period when four students were apprehended 

 for stealing a body and transporting it to the University of 

 Bologna, where Mondino taught. During the 14th Century, human 

 dissection was also carried out at a number of other schools: 

 Florence, Lerida, Montpellier, Naples, Prague and Venice. 



It was during the Renaissance, A.D. 1350-1650, that certain 

 pioneers dared to come to grips with the superstitions and hos- 

 tilities of the populace, to make accurate observations on the 

 structure of the human body and to report what they saw at the 

 risk of censure and social ostracism. It was one of the most pro- 

 gressive periods in the history of anatomy. 



During that era, factors still militating against human dis- 

 section were the following: religious belief in a soul, super- 

 stition, faith in the writings of Galen and Avicenna, repugnance 

 of society and the lack of proper methods to preserve the body. 

 But the practice continued to spread throughout Europe and to 

 Great Britain. Concomitant with this, some attention was paid 

 to the passage of laws pertaining to anatomical dissection and to 

 the building of magnificent anatomical theatres. 



Many famous painters developed programs of actual anatomi- 

 cal dissection especially in the early part of the Renaissance. 

 Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Albrecht Diirer and Titian 

 were included. As a group, their minds were untrammeled by 

 traditional bias, they were enthusiastic and they were trained in 

 making careful observations. They were sometimes able to obtain 

 bodies, by sanction and help of the Church, as in the case of 

 Michelangelo. Knowledge of muscular structure and the art of 

 making anatomical illustrations were advanced through the efforts 

 of these artists. During his life time, da Vinci made 779 anatomi- 

 cal drawings; he was of the opinion that the anatomists around 

 him revered the human body whereas others in society were more 

 inclined to destroy it. 



Among the teachers who stood out in this changing period, 

 can be mentioned Sylvius, Servetus and Vesalius, each having 

 distinguishing personality traits. Sylvius, at the University of 

 Paris, taught anatomy in the traditional fashion but saw the 



