ANATOMY
"Whenever you shall be so unhappy as to fail in your Endeavours to relieve; let it be you constant Aim to convert particular Misfortunes into general Blessings, by carefully inspecting the Bodies of the Dead, inquiring into the Causes of their Diseases, and thence improving your own Knowledge, and making further and useful Discoveries in the healing Art."
A Discourse upon the Duties of a Physician by Samuel Bard, MD (1769)
It was well into the twelfth century before anatomy became a legitimate part of the study of medicine. Many countries had political and religious laws restricting the use of human specimens for study. Cadavers for dissection were difficult to come by and preservation was inadequate, so it was through medical illustration that anatomy could first be publicly taught. Since most medical careers begin at the dissecting table, it is appropriate to open this web site with the study of anatomy.
