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Spring 2001
The Fabrica of Andreas Vesalius: The
Father of Modern Anatomy and His Most Famous Work
Andreas Vesalius was a Belgian born anatomist and physician, born in
1514 into a family of physicians. He is considered the father of modern
anatomy and his work the beginning of modern medicine. In 1543, at the
young age of 29, Vesalius published his most important work, De Humani
Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem (Seven Books on the Fabric of the Human
Body), generally known as the Fabrica.
The Fabrica is the
most famous
anatomy book ever written and also the first book on human anatomy to be
reasonably accurate. The Fabrica is famous for its illustrations. They
were most likely created by Jan Stephan van Calcar, a student of Titian
who worked with Vesalius. In 1555 a second edition was issued. This
edition featured some corrections and additions, some revamped
illustrations, and an improved section on embryology. A copy of this
edition was donated by Norman J. Holter, a former OHSU student and
inventor of the Holter monitor, which measures heartbeat and respiration.
Holter attended OHSU for one year, 1956, and in 1980 donated a copy of
the Fabrica in appreciation of several faculty members and the admissions
committee, for admitting him to medical school even though he was over 40
years old.
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