History of Printing Medical Texts: Difference between revisions

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==The Renaissance and Mechanical Printing==
==The Renaissance and Mechanical Printing==
===The Work of Andreas Vesalius===
===The Work of Andreas Vesalius===
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Vesalius Andreas Vesalius] (31 December 1514 – 15 October 1564) was a Renaissance physician in the 16th century who played a major role in advancing the study of anatomy through his most famous work, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_humani_corporis_fabrica De humani corporis fabrica libri septem]'' ("On the fabric of the human body in seven books"). Vesalius believed that anatomy could only be taught and learned through dissection and observation,<ref>Baigrie, Brian S. Scientific Revolutions : Primary Texts In the History of Science. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.</ref> which was reflected in his detailed anatomical models and descriptions. His conception of the human body as a system of interconnected parts pioneered a new method of studying and teaching anatomy that closely resembles modern practices.<ref>Cambiaghi, Marco. "Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564)." Journal of Neurology, vol. 264, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1828-1830.</ref> Vesalius' magnum opus, ''De humani corporis fabrica libri septem'', was a collection of seven different books that each focused on a different compenent of the human body:  
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Vesalius Andreas Vesalius] (31 December 1514 – 15 October 1564) was a Renaissance physician in the 16th century who played a major role in advancing the study of anatomy through his most famous work, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_humani_corporis_fabrica De humani corporis fabrica libri septem]'' ("On the fabric of the human body in seven books"). Vesalius believed that anatomy could only be taught and learned through dissection and observation,<ref>Baigrie, Brian S. Scientific Revolutions : Primary Texts In the History of Science. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.</ref> which was reflected in his detailed anatomical models and descriptions. His conception of the human body as a system of interconnected parts pioneered a new method of studying and teaching anatomy that closely resembles modern practices.<ref>Cambiaghi, Marco. "Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564)." Journal of Neurology, vol. 264, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1828-1830.</ref> Vesalius' magnum opus, ''De humani corporis fabrica libri septem'', was a collection of seven different books that each focused on a different component of the human body:  
#The Bones and Cartilages
#The Bones and Cartilages
#The Ligaments and Muscles
#The Ligaments and Muscles
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Vesalius' work was not renowned its content, but rather for the 250+ illustrations of the human body. The books were printed using woodblock engravings, which allowed for incredible precision and detail. While the specific artists and woodcutters that Vesalius employed are unknown, it is generally agreed upon that the illustrations came from the "circle of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titian Titian]," and Titian himself chose the woodcut that would be used to reproduce the drawings.<ref>Goree, John A. "The Woodblocks of Vesalius and the Printings: From the Renaissance to the Modern Era." Printing History, no. 16, 2014, pp. 3.</ref> Vasalius would would ultimately use 254 woodblocks for the anatomical illustrations, and 22 more would be used in another version of his work called ''De humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome'', commonly referred to as ''Epitome''.  
Vesalius' work was not renowned its content, but rather for the 250+ illustrations of the human body. The books were printed using woodblock engravings, which allowed for incredible precision and detail. While the specific artists and woodcutters that Vesalius employed are unknown, it is generally agreed upon that the illustrations came from the "circle of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titian Titian]," and Titian himself chose the woodcut that would be used to reproduce the drawings.<ref>Goree, John A. "The Woodblocks of Vesalius and the Printings: From the Renaissance to the Modern Era." Printing History, no. 16, 2014, pp. 3.</ref> Vasalius would would ultimately use 254 woodblocks for the anatomical illustrations, and 22 more would be used in another version of his work called ''De humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome'', commonly referred to as ''Epitome''.  


Although the artistic sources remain unknown, the illustrations and figures in Vesalius' works masterfully combined elegance and anatomical accuracy, and greatly surpassed those in any other medical texts at the time. A very well-preserved [https://www.wdl.org/en/item/19493/ copy] of the Vesalius' De humani corporis fabrica libri septem can be found in the World Digital Library.  
Although the artistic sources remain unknown, the illustrations and figures in Vesalius' works masterfully combined elegance and anatomical accuracy, and greatly surpassed those in any other medical texts at the time. A very well-preserved [https://www.wdl.org/en/item/19493/ copy] of the ''De humani corporis fabrica libri septem'' can be found in the World Digital Library.  
==Modern Medical Texts==
==Modern Medical Texts==
==Resources==
==Resources==

Revision as of 00:35, 7 December 2020

Since ancient times, illness and disease has

Early Civilizations

Transcription

The Renaissance and Mechanical Printing

The Work of Andreas Vesalius

Andreas Vesalius (31 December 1514 – 15 October 1564) was a Renaissance physician in the 16th century who played a major role in advancing the study of anatomy through his most famous work, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem ("On the fabric of the human body in seven books"). Vesalius believed that anatomy could only be taught and learned through dissection and observation,[1] which was reflected in his detailed anatomical models and descriptions. His conception of the human body as a system of interconnected parts pioneered a new method of studying and teaching anatomy that closely resembles modern practices.[2] Vesalius' magnum opus, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, was a collection of seven different books that each focused on a different component of the human body:

  1. The Bones and Cartilages
  2. The Ligaments and Muscles
  3. The Veins and Arteries
  4. The Nerves
  5. The Organs of Nutrition and Generation
  6. The Heart and Associated Organs
  7. The Brain

Vesalius' work was not renowned its content, but rather for the 250+ illustrations of the human body. The books were printed using woodblock engravings, which allowed for incredible precision and detail. While the specific artists and woodcutters that Vesalius employed are unknown, it is generally agreed upon that the illustrations came from the "circle of Titian," and Titian himself chose the woodcut that would be used to reproduce the drawings.[3] Vasalius would would ultimately use 254 woodblocks for the anatomical illustrations, and 22 more would be used in another version of his work called De humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome, commonly referred to as Epitome.

Although the artistic sources remain unknown, the illustrations and figures in Vesalius' works masterfully combined elegance and anatomical accuracy, and greatly surpassed those in any other medical texts at the time. A very well-preserved copy of the De humani corporis fabrica libri septem can be found in the World Digital Library.

Modern Medical Texts

Resources

  1. Baigrie, Brian S. Scientific Revolutions : Primary Texts In the History of Science. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.
  2. Cambiaghi, Marco. "Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564)." Journal of Neurology, vol. 264, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1828-1830.
  3. Goree, John A. "The Woodblocks of Vesalius and the Printings: From the Renaissance to the Modern Era." Printing History, no. 16, 2014, pp. 3.