Early History Of Human Anatomy

A vast subject that includes a strange vocabulary and an apparent mass of facts, human anatomy can at first appear confusing and off-putting. But the basic construction of the human body - the skeleton, the organs of the chest and abdomen, the nervous system, the head and neck with its sensory systems and anatomy for breathing and swallowing - is vital for anyone studying medicine, biology, and health studies. In this Very Short Introduction Leslie Klenerman provides a clear, concise, and accessible introduction to the structure, function, and main systems of the human body, including a number of clear and simple illustrations to explain the key areas. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Many advances in medicine and surgery can be directly linked to improvements in understanding the structure and function of the human body. During the sixteenth century, the study of human anatomy became an objective discipline, based on direct observation and scientific principles. Not surprisingly, the study of human anatomy has progressed to its universal acceptance and recognition as a scientific discipline, essential for the practice of modern medicine. This revised and expanded edition presents anatomy from antiquity to the modern times. In this book, the authors present many scholars and teachers; the time periods, places, and impact of their work; controversies in anatomy; and advances in the discipline. These topics run the gamut from early pioneers in the art to the development of techniques that have propelled the study of anatomy to its current state. The authors have attempted to present the "big picture" regarding the historic anatomists and movements that have shaped our current understanding of what we now call "medical anatomy." This beautifully illustrated edition spans nearly four centuries of medical history. It was a period of spectacular achievements during which many great medical personalities lived, made important anatomical discoveries, and produced impressive treatises. With the sheer volume of historical anatomy literature available, the authors followed a somewhat eclectic and selective course in presenting the most significant material in this work. As even now man continues to learn about the structure of his body with new and noninvasive technologies such as MRI, uncovering parts of the human anatomy never seen before, the study of the history of anatomy therefore continues alongside the study of anatomy as a scientific discipline without obvious end.

A landmark book of popular science that gives us a lucid and engaging account of how the human body evolved over millions of years—with charts and line drawings throughout. “Fascinating.... A readable introduction to the whole field and great on the making of our physicality.”—Nature In this book, Daniel E. Lieberman illuminates the major transformations that contributed to key adaptations to the body: the rise of bipedalism; the shift to a non-fruit-based diet; the advent of hunting and gathering; and how cultural changes like the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions have impacted us physically. He shows how the increasing disparity between the jumble of adaptations in our Stone Age bodies and advancements in the modern world is occasioning a paradox: greater longevity but increased chronic disease. And finally—provocatively—he advocates the use of evolutionary information to help nudge, push, and sometimes even compel us to create a more salubrious environment and pursue better lifestyles.

This illustrated volume examines the different methods artists and anatomists used to reveal the inner workings of the human body and evoke wonder in its form. For centuries, anatomy was a fundamental component of artistic training, as artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo sought to skillfully portray the human form. In Europe, illustrations that captured the complex structure of the body—spectacularly realized by anatomists, artists, and printmakers in early atlases such as Andreas Vesalius’s De humani corporis fabrica libri septem of 1543—found an audience with both medical practitioners and artists. Flesh and Bones examines the inventive ways anatomy has been presented from the sixteenth through the twenty-first century, including an animated corpse displaying its own body for study, anatomized antique sculpture, spectacular life-size prints, delicate paper flaps, and 3-D stereoscopic photographs. Drawn primarily from the vast holdings of the Getty Research Institute, the over 150 striking images, which range in media from woodcut to neon, reveal the uncanny beauty of the human body under the skin

"History of Anatomy: An International Perspective is unique in its global approach to studying the development of human anatomy. Though it references widely known anatomists, such as Aristotle, Galen, and Bell, the book also pay homage to less famous contributors to the field and explains their findings. This comprehensive history of the morphology of humans serves as a useful guide to anatomists, anthropologists, physicians, surgeons, and anyone interested in the early history of medicine and surgery"--

This history of medical thought from antiquity through the Middle Ages reconstructs the slow transformations and sudden changes in theory and practice that marked the birth and early development of Western medicine. Grmek and his contributors adopt a synthetic, cross-disciplinary approach, with attention to cultural, social, and economic forces.

A survey of the field from the publication of Vesalius' De Humani Corporis Fabrica in 1543 to the early 19th century when new legislation permitted human dissection. Written for a general readership, a selective account that treats some aspects only lightly or not at all. Among the topics that are included are the immediate successors of Vesalius at Padua, William Hunter and his legacy, professionalism and recognition, Ireland, Scotland, body snatchers and the trade in corpses, Germany, the New World, and fragments (primarily of knowledge rather than bodies) from the east. Paper edition (unseen), $75.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A guide to the techniques and analysis of clinical data. Each of the seventeen sections begins with a drawing and biographical sketch of a seminal contributor to the discipline. After an introduction and historical survey of clinical methods, the next fifteen sections are organized by body system. Each contains clinical data items from the history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations that are generally included in a comprehensive patient evaluation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This text, written by members of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine and first published in 1995, is designed to cover the history of western medicine from classical antiquity to 1800. As one guiding thread it takes, as its title suggests, the system of medical ideas that in large part went back to the Greeks of the eighth century BC, and played a major role in the understanding and treatment of health and disease. Its influence spread from the Aegean basin to the rest of the Mediterranean region, to Europe, and then to European settlements overseas. By the nineteenth century, however, this tradition no longer carried the same force or occupied so central a position within medicine. This book charts the influence of this tradition, examining it in its social and historical context. It is essential reading as a synthesis for all students of the history of medicine.