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Discovery: Lessons in Anatomy

10/12/2008

Lessons in Anatomy

BBC World Service - Discovery, Lessons in Anatomy

Ruth Richardson investigates the history of dissection and anatomy

150 years after the publication of Gray's Anatomy, Ruth Richardson investigates the history of dissection and anatomy.

Gray's Anatomy, published in 1858, quickly became a kind of bible as far as medical students were concerned in their quest to learn about human anatomy. 

It a served as a companion to medical students as they entered the dissection room and began to dissect the cadavers preserved in formaldehyde. 

The surgeon, William Hunter, said of dissection that it 'informs the head, guides the hand and familiarises the heart to a kind of necessary inhumanity'. But with the benefit of modern technology and computer simulations, is dissection and leafing through the hundreds of detailed pages of Gray's Anatomy the best way for students to learn about anatomy. In the next edition of Discovery, Dr.Ruth Richardson, author of The Making of Mr.Gray's Anatomy reflects on the lasting importance of this magnificent book. She talks to surgeons, anatomists and students as they dissect the cadavers about lessons in anatomy.

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