Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 18-19. (Budapest, 2000)

Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts - Guide to the Exhibition

can see a medical diploma from the late 16th century (No.5). It was issued to Valerius Bellatus at Venice in 1575. There arc also some commemorating medals of Vesalius (No.9) and Nicolaus Tulp (1593-1674), the other eminent Netherlander, who appears in Rembrandt's famous Master Tulp's Anatomy. University anatomical education is illustrated by the copperplate of the tĥeátrum anatomicum at Leyđeñ (No. 13). The plate was made by Jacobus Harrewijn (c. 1660 - d. after 1732). A good example of the anatomical views of these times is Albert Dührcr's (1471-1528) self portrait (No.

8), in which the artist reveals his liver disease. b) Paré founder of modern surgery In the Middle Ages surgeons occupied lower ranks in society than physicians. They had their training together with the barbers, consequently their scientific knowledge was poor. In contrast, doctors attended universities and their activities were focused on more or less, what we call today, internal medicine, not to speak about their serious studies on natural sciences in general. Among the innumerable results of the devastating wars in the 16-17th centuries we can find the rapid development of surgery. Ambroise Paré's (1510-1590) (No.3) carcer is an excellent example of the growing importance of this profession. He spent most of his long life on battlefields but he was gifted enough to become a master of surgery. He had no formal education; his ignorance in classical languages obstructed him to study even the basic texts of science. However, his excellence in his chosen profession was greatly awarded when he was appointed head surgeon of the respected College de Saint-Come. It was experience and sometimes luck that lead him to new, and quite logical conclusions. Observing that wounds caused by firearms are basically different from the poisoned ones (which was contrary to the general view of his age) he introduced a new healing method for these injuries by neglecting cautery. Over this question he had a dispute with Giovanni de Vigo (1460-1517), the court surgeon of the Curia in Rome. Later, when Jacques Dubois (1478-1555), appointed him to a a post in pathology, Pare did express his doubts on Dubois's anatomical views, which were rather in favour of Galen, and he presented himself as an advocate of the anatomy of Vesalius instead. His other main contribution to modern surgery, beside the application of Vesalius's anatomy, was the renewal of vascular compression. You can see a copy of a Latin edition of his major work, the Opera Chirurgica (Paris, 1582) on display (No.

6). His first book, the La Methode de traicter les playes faictes par hacquebetus was published in Paris 1545, and his completed works, Les ouvres de M. Ambroise Paré in 1575. Next to the illustration of haemostasis from the Feldbuch der Wundarznei (No.

2.) by Hans von Gersdorff (published at Strassburg 1517), you can see cautcrising-irons (No. 1.), from the early 16th century. His book was written apparently 36