Editing History of anatomy (section)

===Vesalius===
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2015}}
[[File:Portrait of Andreas Vesalius, half-length in profile standing in front of a table dissecting the arm of a body; frontispiece to Andreas Vesalius 'De humani corporis fabrica libri septem' MET DP853465.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|A portrait of [[Andreas Vesalius]] from ''De Humani Corporis Fabrica'' (1543)]]
The Galenic doctrine in Europe was first seriously challenged in the 16th century. Thanks to the [[printing press]], all over Europe a collective effort proceeded to circulate the works of Galen and later publish criticisms on their works. [[Andreas Vesalius]], born and educated in Belgium, contributed the most to human anatomy. Vesalius's success were due in large part to him exercising the skills of mindful dissections for the sake of understanding anatomy, much to the tune of Galen's "anatomy project" instead of focusing on the work of other scholars of the time in recovering the ancient texts of Hippocrates, Galen and others (which much of the medical community was focused around at the time).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klestinec|first=Cynthia|year=2004|title=A History of Anatomy Theaters in Sixteenth-Century Padua|journal=Journal of the History of Medicine|volume=59|issue=3|pages=377|doi=10.1093/jhmas/jrh089|pmid=15270335}}</ref>

Vesalius was the first to publish a treatise, ''[[De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem|De Humani Corporis Fabrica]]'', that challenged Galen's anatomical teachings, arguing that they are based on observations of other mammals, not human bodies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/anatomy/people_pages/vesalius.html|title=Andreas Vesalius {{!}} Anatomy in the Age of Enlightenment|website=www.umich.edu|access-date=2017-02-05|archive-date=2016-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161214171726/http://www.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/anatomy/people_pages/vesalius.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The book included a detailed series of explanations and vivid drawings of the anatomical parts of human bodies. Vesalius traveled all the way from [[Leuven]] to [[Padua]] for permission to dissect victims from the [[gallows]] without fear of persecution. His superbly executed drawings are triumphant descriptions of the differences between dogs and humans, but it took a century for Galen's influence to fade.

Vesalius' work marked a new era in the study of anatomy and its relation to medicine. Under Vesalius, anatomy became an actual discipline. "His skill in and attention to dissection featured prominently in his publications as well as his demonstrations, in his research as well as his teaching."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Klestinec |first=Cynthia |title=A History of Anatomy Theaters in Sixteenth-Century Padua |journal=Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences |year=2004 |volume=59 | issue = 3 |pages=375–412 |doi=10.1093/jhmas/59.3.375|pmid=15270335 }}</ref>
In 1540, Vesalius gave a public demonstration of the inaccuracies of Galen's anatomical theories, which are still the orthodoxy of the medical profession. Vesalius now has on display, for comparison purposes, the skeletons of a human being alongside that of an ape of which he was able to show, that in many cases, Galen's observations were indeed correct for the ape, but bear little relation to man. Clearly what was needed was a new account of human anatomy. While the lecturer explained human anatomy, as revealed by Galen more than 1000 years earlier, an assistant pointed to the equivalent details on a dissected corpse. At times, the assistant was unable to find the organ as described, but invariably the corpse rather than Galen was held to be in error. Vesalius then decided that he will dissect corpses himself and trust to the evidence of what he found. His approach was highly controversial, but his evident skill led to his appointment as professor of surgery and anatomy at the University of Padua.

A succession of researchers proceeded to refine the body of anatomical knowledge, giving their names to a number of anatomical structures along the way. The 16th and 17th centuries also witnessed significant advances in the understanding of the [[circulatory system]], as the purpose of [[valve]]s in veins was identified, the left-to-right ventricle flow of blood through the circulatory system was described, and the [[hepatic vein]]s were identified as a separate portion of the circulatory system. The [[lymphatic system]] was also identified as a separate system at this time.