History of Anatomy for Medical Students

History of Anatomy

• This course is exclusive for students in the Faculty of Medicine at "Iuliu Hațieganu" University.
• Early humans had limited anatomical knowledge, which was rudimentary.
• Evidence of early anatomical knowledge includes cave paintings.
• Cave paintings depicted hunting scenes, simplistic but accurate depictions of bodies (head, limbs). Animals were also shown with a precordial area (where a wound would cause immediate death).
• Early statuettes, like the "Venus of Willendorf," represent obese women (some researchers call them steatopic women). These statuettes lack facial features.

Roots of Morphological Knowledge

• Ancient civilizations (e.g., Mesopotamian and Egyptian) demonstrate developing anatomy.
• Mesopotamians studied animal anatomy, particularly the sheep's liver. Clay molds of sheep livers were used by Babylonians to predict disease.
• Egyptians utilized embalming techniques, which provided anatomical knowledge. Documents like the Edwin Smith Papyrus (oldest known surgical text on trauma), and the Ebers Papyrus detail knowledge of the heart, vessels, bones, and other structures.
• Anatomical knowledge was gained through observing and dissecting both animals and humans.

Evidence of Anatomical Knowledge

• Writings and artifacts (clay molds, papyri, drawings) from ancient civilizations show increasing knowledge.
• Clay models and writings (papyri) demonstrated Mesopotamian and ancient Egyptian understanding of the human anatomy and conditions.
• Trepanations (operations where holes were drilled into the skull): Performed on living people and corpses. Analyzed using criteria like location and number of holes.
• Purpose of trepanations: Treating intracranial illnesses like encephalitis, trauma, hematoma, or tumors.
• Analysis of trepanation shape includes round or oval and potential positive/negative outcomes(healing or death).
• Egyptian embalming practices allowed detailed observation of the internal organs. Careful removal and preparation of the internal organs for preservation.

Anatomy Throughout Antiquity

• Egyptians developed mummification, intricate procedures for preserving bodies. Organs were carefully removed, treated, and placed in containers within the body cavity.
• The Brugsch Papyrus, detailing Egyptian medicine, was important to the study of Egyptian medical knowledge.
• The Edwin Smith Papyrus is a significant surgical text with descriptions of anatomical structures like bones, muscles, vessels, stomach, duodenum, colon, gallbladder, and kidneys.
• The Treaty of Susruta Samhita from Ancient India contains descriptions of anatomical structures and indications of dissection techniques.