A stuntman for blood vessels

Abstract

Herophilus of Chalcedon was the first anatomist of Antiquity and founder of the Medical School of Alexandria. He managed to verify the dependence of the pulse on the activity of the heart; he also determined its rhythm by measuring it and comparing it with music and, in addition, he differentiated the nerves and ligaments from the blood vessels, despite being called by some a butcher. It was only thanks to the dissection of more than 600 corpses for observation and analysis that the Greek doctor laid the foundations for understanding the biomechanical behavior of organs, which today is the foundation for research and training in the field of medical sciences.

During the Renaissance, anatomical studies were promoted, among others, thanks to the dissections carried out by famous people such as Leonardo da Vinci and the English doctor William Harvey, the latter a pioneer in describing blood circulation and the properties of blood. Since then, anatomical sciences have been based on the visualization and manipulation of biological structures to characterize them.