72 FATHERS OF BIOLOGY. 



the " Corporis Human! Fabrica," and which are incom- 

 parably better than those of any work which preceded it. 

 To him most likely is due also the woodcut which adorns 

 the first page, and which represents the young Vesalius, 

 wearing professor's robes, standing at a lecture-table and 

 pointing out, from a robust subject that lies before him, 

 the inner secrets of the human body ; while the tiers of 

 benches that surround the professor are completely 

 crowded with grave doctors struggling to see, even 

 climbing upon the railings to do so. 



But throughout the work the plates are used simply to 

 illustrate and elucidate the text, and the information 

 furnished in the latter is minute and accurate, and stated 

 in well-polished Latin. As the author proceeds, he finds 

 it necessary to disagree with Galen, and the reasons for 

 this disagreement are given. The inevitable result follows 

 that Vesalius is placed at issue not only with " the divine 

 man," but also with all those who for thirteen centuries 

 had unquestioningly followed him. Such a result Vesalius 

 must have foreseen. It was not, therefore, a great sur- 

 prise to him, perhaps, to receive, soon after the publica- 

 tion of his work, a violent onslaught from his old master 

 Sylvius. He simply replied to it by a letter full of respect 

 and friendly feeling, inquiring wherein he had been 

 guilty of error. The answer he got was that he must 

 show proper respect for Galen, if he wished to be 

 regaided as a friend of Sylvius. 



