A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



untimely end as a martyr to science, was Andrew 

 Vesalius (1514-1564), who is called the "greatest of 

 anatomists." At the time he came into the field 

 medicine was struggling against the dominating Ga- 

 lenic teachings and the theories of Paracelsus, but per- 

 haps most of all against the superstitions of the time. 

 In France human dissections were attended with such 

 dangers that the young Vesalius transferred his field 

 of labors to Italy, where such investigations were 

 covertly permitted, if not openly countenanced. 



From the very start the young Fleming looked 

 askance at the accepted teachings of the day, and 

 began a series of independent investigations based 

 upon his own observations. The results of these 

 investigations he gave in a treatise on the subject 

 which is regarded as the first comprehensive and 

 systematic work on human anatomy. This remark- 

 able work was published in the author's twenty- 

 eighth or twenty-ninth year. Soon after this Vesalius 

 was invited as imperial physician to the court of Em- 

 peror Charles V. He continued to act in the same 

 capacity at the court of Philip II., after the abdication 

 of his patron. But in spite of this royal favor there 

 was at work a factor more powerful than the influence 

 of the monarch himself an instrument that did so 

 much to retard scientific progress, and by which so 

 many lives were brought to a premature close. 



Vesalius had received permission from the kinsmen 

 of a certain grandee to perform an autopsy. While 

 making his observations the heart of the outraged 

 body was seen to palpitate so at least it was 

 reported. This was brought immediately to the 



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