Versalius'/Harvey's Contribution to Medicine

Versalius'/Harvey's Contribution to Medicine

Versalius and Harvey's contribution to medicine were a detailed study

of the human anatomy and dissection. Both were Professors of Surgery

and made a great contribution to surgery. Andreas Versalius was born

in Brussels in1514 and studied medicine in Paris and Louvain and met

artists who were studying skeletons and dissecting bodies to make

paintings more realistic, Versalius discovered that Galen was wrong in

some important details of anatomy. After an argument in Louvain over

bleeding techniques he became professor of surgery and anatomy at

Padua.. Versalius did his own dissections and wrote books based on his

observations using accurate diagrams to illustrate his work, like "The

Fabric Of The Human Body" (1543).

Versalius contribution and methods were important to medicines he

oversaw all stages in the Human anatomy dissection and pointed out

some of the Galen's mistakes. As doctors believed that Galen was right

about everything. In the second edition of his book "The Fabric",

Versalius said there were no holes in the Septum of the heart. As

before Versalius, Galen had to rely on dissecting animals for

knowledge of human anatomy.

Another discovery of human anatomy was by William Harvey, who was born

in Kent in 1578. Harvey studied medicine at Cambridge and Padua. He

worked in London as a doctor and a Lecturer of Anatomy at the Royal

College of Surgeons, before becoming Royal Physician to King James I

and King Charles I.

Harvey did comparative studies on animals and humans. He realised that

he could observe living animals hearts in action and his findings

would also apply to humans. Before Harvey, doctors and Galen thought

that new blood was constantly being made in the liver to replace blood

that was burnt up in the body. But no one proved how blood circulated

around in the body.

Harvey contribution to Human anatomy was that he discovered

circulation of blood in human body. He showed how blood is carried

away from the heart by the arteries and return to the heart in veins.