70 FATHERS OF BIOLOGY. 



the symptoms in men dying of a fatal malady, and noting 

 where, after death, such men were buried. The seclusion 

 of the graveyard was then invaded, and the corpse 

 secretly conveyed by Andreas to his chamber, and con- 

 cealed sometimes in his own bed. A diligent search was 

 at once made to determine accurately the cause of death. 

 This pitiless zeal for correct details in anatomy, associated 

 as it was with indefatigable practice in physic, appeared 

 to Vesalius, as it does to his successors of to-day, to be 

 the only satisfactory method of acquiring that knowledge 

 which is essential to a doctor. Thus it was that he, who 

 at the age of twenty-two was able to name, with his eyes 

 blindfolded, any human bone put into his hand, who 

 was deeply versed in comparative anatomy, and had 

 more accurate knowledge of the human frame than any 

 graybeard of the time, enjoyed afterwards a reputation 

 as a physician which was unbounded. One illustration 

 of his sagacity in diagnosis will suffice. A patient of 

 two famous court physicians at Madrid had a big and 

 wonderful tumour on the loins. It would have been 

 easily recognized in these days as an aneurismal tumour, 

 but it greatly puzzled the two doctors. Vesalius was 

 therefore consulted, and said, " There is a blood-vessel 

 dilated ; that tumour is full of blood." They were sur- 

 prised at such a strange opinion ; but the man died, the 

 tumour was opened ; blood was actually found in it, and 

 we are told in admirationem raptifuere omnes. 



