Andreas Vesalius was born in 1514 and was a medical professor at Padua University, Italy.
He believed that successful surgery would only be possible if doctors had a proper understanding of anatomy. Vesalius was able to perform dissections on criminals who had been executed. He wrote books based on his observations using accurate diagrams to illustrate his work. The most important was the ‘Fabric of the Human Body’ (1543).
Vesalius’ work helped to point out some of Galen’s mistakes. For example, he showed that there were no holes in the septum of the heart. His findings encouraged others to question Galen. Doctors also realised that there was more to discover about the body because of Vesalius’ questioning attitude.
Vesalius’ works were printed and distributed around the world. This meant that others could learn from Vesalius’ discoveries.
The work of Vesalius didn’t have an immediate impact on the diagnosis or treatment of disease. However, by producing a realistic description of the human anatomy and encouraging dissection, Vesalius provided an essential first step to improving them.