Page 1 2 3

The finest anatomic work of the 17th century was Anatomia Humani Corporis (1685) and was written by Govert Bidloo with 105 copperplate engravings that were drawn by Gerard de Lairesse (11-13). These great examples of Dutch baroque art generated one of the most famous controversies in the history of medicine when Bidloo accused William Cowper of plagiarism. The original plates for Bidloo's figures found their way into Cowper's The Anatomy of Human Bodies in 1698 (14-15) after Cowper had purchased those plates from the engraver and then reissued them under his own name.

The art of medical illustration probably reached its zenith with the 11-volume compendium by Bourgery, Claude Bernard, and N.H. Jacob written between 1866 and 1871 (including supplements). The colored illustrations of anatomy and surgery in Traite Complet de L'Anatomie de L'Homme are unsurpassed and are a necessary part of any medical art or instrument collection (16-23). A number of prints from Bourgery are found throughout this web site.

The most popular book in the history of medicine, Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical, was written in 1858 by Henry Gray. The illustrations were accurate and this text is still being published today (24,25).

Microscopic and Gross Anatomy

Medical application of the microscope probably began in the 17th century when Pierre Borel first noted abnormalities in blood specimens. It was Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1668-1785), however, who made the microscope an important scientific instrument when he described the "world of animalcules" in 1684 while Athanasius Kircher (1601-1680) first suggested that organisms seen through the microscope could be the cause of disease. Physicians used microscopes for the study of anatomy with instruments made primarily in Europe and England. American manufacturers eventually caught up in Philadelphia by Zentmayer and in Chicago by Bulloch (26).

11-13) Anatomia Humani Corporis(1685), by Bidloo

The finest anatomic drawings of the 17th century.

14-15) The Anatomy of Humane Bodies (1698), by Cowper

Cowper used Bidloo's copperplates though added a several of his own along with a number of original anatomic discoveries.

16-23) Traite Complet de L'Anatomie de L'Homme(1867-1871), by Bourgery

This is one of the finest uses of art in medicine and is a comprehensive Review of anatomy and almost all surgical procedures of the 19th century.

24-25) Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical (1858), by Gray

The representations are accurate and this text can be found at the dissection table today.

26) Bulloch Microscope (1879)

Manufactured by Walter Bulloch, this was the zenith of craftsmanship in the United States in the 19th century. Represented is the Professional model with original lacquer, brushed brass, and all accessories.

 

Page 1 2 3

11) Bidloo, Arm

14) Cowper, Portrait

23) Bourgery, Skull

25) Gray, Torso

26) Bulloch Microscope