4. Galen's Anatomy

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we look more closely at Galen's anatomy. We see how Galen attempted to test the ideas of Hippocrates through the dissection of animals and the examination of human skeletons. We then see how Galen compiled all his anatomical knowledge into books, which were put together with the purpose of acting as short guides to students on the systems of the body.

Course

In this course, Professor Vivian Nutton (University College London) looks at the life of the ancient doctor Galen of Pergamon. We start by looking at the early career of Galen. We then examine his later career when he served as physician to the emperors of Rome. We then turn to look at his medical theories and practice. After this we move on to discuss Galen’s anatomy. Finally, we examine Galen’s legacy on medicine from antiquity to the present day.

Lecturer

Vivian Nutton is Emeritus Professor at the UCL Centre for the History of Medicine and current President of the Centre for the Study of Medicine and the Body in the Renaissance (CSMBR). He has written extensively on Galen (129-216 C.E.) and the Galenic tradition, and has also written more generally on medicine in classical antiquity. His recent work has centred on the Renaissance anatomist, Andreas Vesalius.