Vesalius and the De humani corporis fabrica

Medicine Through Time – Andreas Vesalius, 1514-64

In this course, Professor Dániel Margócsy (University of Cambridge) looks at the 16th-century anatomist and physician Andreas Vesalius (1514-64) and his contribution to medicine. In the first module, we look at Vesalius himself and then turn to consider the publication of his De Humani Corporis Fabrica. In the second module, we focus on the reception and impact of Vesalius in England, before in the third module turning to look at the professionalisation of medicine which was occurring in Europe at the time. In the fourth module, we consider the challenges to authority that medicine was issuing during the 16th century, before finally in the fifth module, turning our attention to the wider world of healing, situating Vesalius within his wider medical context.

Vesalius and the De humani corporis fabrica

In this module, we look at Vesalius and his publication of the De Humani Corporis Fabrica, focusing in particular on: (i) his early career, including the ancient medical authorities that influenced him and the medical context that he trained within; (ii) the reasons why Vesalius wrote his De Humani Corporis Fabrica, notably, his insistence of learning medicine through practical experience and the use of images; (iii) and the immediate response to the De Humani Corporis Fabrica in England and Europe.