36 INTRODUCTION. 



In the commencement of the 14th century, Mundinus is 

 represented as the first European author who insisted upon 

 dissections, and whose system of instruction was of so high 

 repute, as to be taught for years in the schools. Even 

 in the University of Padua, the Professors were obliged, 

 by a law of the College, to make this system their text- 

 book. 



Towards the close of the 15th century, Jacobus Beren- 

 garius Carpus revived dissections, and published two Ana- 

 tomical works, one of which was simply a commentary on 

 Mundinus. 



The 16th century teems with improvements and discov- 

 eries in anatomy, from men of the most exalted talent, 

 untiring industry, and self-sacrificing devotion to this, their 

 favorite pursuit. Italy for a long time seemed ttf be the 

 sole theatre of Anatomical knowledge. About the year 

 1536, however, John Gruinterius, who had been a teacher 

 of Anatomy for several years in Paris, published a work 

 entitled "Anatomicse Institutiones," in which, it is said, he 

 has given a pretty full and accurate description of the 

 muscles. 



But it is most especially to that great man, Andreas Vesa- 

 UuSj of Brussels, that we are to look for the restoration of 

 Anatomy. He was the real and true reformer, the bold 

 and unflinching Luther in practical Anatomy, the untiring 

 zealot in dissections, and the prompt and fearless exposer 

 of error. Hence, he very soon brought himself into trouble, 

 by daring to expose the numerous errors of Galen and 

 others, of the existence of which his dissections at every step 

 clearly convinced him. He published his Anatomy in 1543, 

 and his descriptions of the bones and muscles are stated to 

 be very minute, and not much surpassed even by modern au- 

 thors. His figures are described as master-pieces of paint- 

 ing. Vesalius attended Lectures in Paris, to which he had 

 been invited by the Professors of the University. He devo- 

 ted himself to dissections, by clandestinely procuring bodies 

 for that purpose, and in the proportion that he discovered 



