De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem

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De humani corporis fabrica (24)

Anatomical treatise by Andreas Vesalius

De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem
Author	Andreas Vesalius
Language	Latin
Publisher	Johannes Oporinus
Publication Date	1543

De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem (On the Fabric of the Human Body in Seven Books) is a Latin work of anatomy published in 1543 by Andreas Vesalius. It is one of the most influential books in the history of medicine and anatomy.

Overview

The work is based on Vesalius's dissections of the human body and is divided into seven books, each covering different aspects of human anatomy. The detailed illustrations and descriptions provided a more accurate understanding of the human body, challenging the prevailing Galenic anatomical theories that had dominated for over a millennium.

Books

The seven books of De Humani Corporis Fabrica are as follows:

1. The Bones and Cartilage
2. The Muscles
3. The Veins and Arteries
4. The Nerves
5. The Organs of Nutrition and Generation
6. The Heart and Lungs
7. The Brain and Sense organs

Significance

De Humani Corporis Fabrica marked a turning point in the study of anatomy. Vesalius's work corrected many of the errors in Galen's anatomical texts, which were based on animal rather than human dissection. The book's detailed illustrations, many of which were created by artists from the Renaissance period, provided a visual reference that was unprecedented at the time.

Related Pages

• Andreas Vesalius
• Anatomy
• Galen
• Renaissance
• Dissection
• History of medicine