This lesson will focus on the work of Andreas Vesalius and his work and importance in Renaissance Medicine. What did he achieve?

1. WALT: Evaluate the
work of Vesalius.
WILFs.
E – Describe the work of Vesalius.
C – Explain the factors involved in Vesalius’ work.
A – Evaluate the work of Vesalius and his impact on medical
understanding.

2. Q. What was significant about
the Renaissance period?
In under 45 words. Describe
the renaissance period….
What happened?

3. Renaissance.
• Renaissance is shorthand for a period in European History
when Ancient Greek and Roman ideas became fashionable,
among the rich and educated.
• European exploration in Africa and the Americans led to
new attitudes and a search for knowledge. Meanwhile
changes in religion as the reformation, led to a decline in
the Church’s Authority, even though most people remained
very strongly religious.
• In Britain the Royal Society was set up in 1660 by educated
people who wished to discuss new ideas.

4. Andreas Vesalius
1514-1564
‘The Fabric of the
Human Body’
1543

5. So who was he ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/andreas-vesalius/
3307.html
Task:
You will have 12 minutes to
come up with as much
information as possible
about Vesalius.
You need to complete a
conversation between
Vesalius and various other
historical figures.

6. To answer…
• Who was Vesalius ?
• What did he do ?
• Where did he study ?
• What did he discover ?
• What was his book ?
• What did he do that was significant…
• What factors helped him?
WWW ?
EBI ?

7. All will be able to… describe and explain the
work of Andreas Vesalius. (D)

8. Factors involved …
Question –
What factors helped Vesalius develop and promote his theories …
There were several factors involved in allowing Vesalius to develop his theories
such as the …
There were significant factors involved in allowing Vesalius to promote his
ideas… Without them he wouldn’t have been as significant …
FACTORS

9. Significance …
How significant was Andreas Vesalius to the history of
medicine…
Vesalius was significant to the history of medicine as he …
However the theories of Galen weren’t yet abandoned …
Therefore …
Vesalius showed that some of Galen’s ideas were wrong. Many doctors refused
to believe him, but his work did encourage doctors to question ancient ideas
rather than just accept them.
In the long-term, Vesalius’s work on anatomy was of huge importance and helped
doctors make new discoveries about the way the body worked.

10. Find the Fiction …
Write down ONE TRUE statement that you have learnt from
today’s lesson and TWO FALSE statements from todays
lesson.
Vesalius was born in the 14th Century
Vesalius is Roman for God
Vesalius was born in the renaissance.
Vesalius’ famous book was known as the …
Vesalius was …
Vesalius is …

11. Question: How significant was Vesalius to the History of medicine?
Vesalius was significant to the history of medicine as he …
- Showed some of the ideas of Galen were wrong;
- The septum (heart) did not have holes in it.
- The lower jaw was made up of a single bone not two (as in monkeys and pigs).
- Importance in medical training;
- His illustrations were detailed.
- His book was able to be published because of the printing press.
Therefore … (How do these prove that Galen was important?)
P - However the theories of Galen weren’t yet abandoned …
E – As some of doctors refused to accept them…
E – Such as Caius …
This is your
EXPLANATION.
This is your
POINT.
This is your
EVIDENCE.

12. Sources
“The jaw of most animals is formed of two bones joined
together at the apex of the chin where the lower jaw ends in a
point. In a man, however, the lower jaw is formed of a single
bone … Galen and most of the skilled dissectors after the
time of Hippocrates asserted that the jaw is not a single bone.
However this may be, so far no human jaw has come to my
attention constructed of two bones”