Several such preparations are now at the College of
Physicians in London, brought from Padua by Harvey. The plates of the
muscles are remarkably good, more correct, though not better perhaps, on
the whole, than some of Leonardo's.
(22) The next, in 1559, is recorded by Plater in his
autobiography, who gave a public dissection during three days in
the Church of St. Elizabeth.
Vesalius had no idea of a general circulation. Though he had escaped
from the domination of the great Pergamenian in anatomy, he was still
his follower in physiology. The two figures annexed, taken from one
of the two existing copies of the "Tabulae Anatomica," are unique in
anatomical illustration, and are of special value as illustrating the
notion of the vascular system that prevailed until Harvey's day. I
have already called your attention to Galen's view of the two separate
systems, one containing the coarse, venous blood for the general
nutrition of the body, the other the arterial, full of a thinner, warmer
blood with which were distributed the vital spirits and the vital
heat. The veins had their origin in the liver; the superior vena cava
communicated with the right heart, and, as Galen taught, some blood was
distributed to the lungs; but the two systems were closed, though Galen
believed there was a communication at the periphery between the
arteries and veins.
Pages:
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223