Systematic human dissection (Herophilus and Erasistratus)
Disección humana sistemática y anatomía del sistema nervioso
- Date
- c. 280 BCE · confidence medium
- Place
- Museum of Alexandria, Egypt
- Credited to
- Herophilus of Chalcedon and Erasistratus of Ceos
- People
- 👤 Herófilo335 BCE–280 BCE
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
The first systematic human dissections; Herophilus distinguished sensory and motor nerves, described the brain as the seat of intelligence and measured the pulse. Erasistratus described the heart valves.
They were accused of vivisecting condemned prisoners; the original works were lost and are known through Galen.
What it led to
- anatomy as an empirical discipline
- brain localisation of the mind against Aristotelian cardiocentrism
- Galenic anatomy
Built on
- Hippocratic school
- Aristotle's animal anatomy
Made possible
- neuroanatomy