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The glans clitoris has a corona; however, unlike the corona of the glans penis, the corona of the glans clitoris is practically "nonexistent" as evidenced by the noteworthy absence of its mention and depiction in anatomical and clinical sciences. Accordingly, the corona of the glans clitoris has been neglected in anatomical education and clinical practice. This report details the history regarding the anatomical terminology of the glans and identifies that descriptions of the glans penis, corona of the glans penis, and other penile structures have preceded descriptions of the homologous anatomy of the clitoris by at least a century. Today, recognition of the corona of the glans clitoris, as well as the coronal sulcus and neck of the clitoris should be commonplace. Henceforth, the corona of the glans clitoris and its related anatomy including the sulcus of the glans clitoris and neck of the clitoris should be incorporated into anatomical and clinical language, illustrations, textbooks, education, and practice. Likewise, efforts should be made to propagate knowledge regarding the corona of the glans clitoris, coronal sulcus, and neck of the clitoris to the general public. Giving names to the anatomical structures of the clitoris will undoubtedly increase the awareness of their existence which, in turn, will encourage their clinical assessment and result in decreased morbidity and mortality. Likewise, improved self-awareness of clitoral anatomy will promote self-care which is important in the prevention of disease and the promotion of optimal sexual health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

In the domain of anatomy, some Chinese characters in anatomical terms possess distinctive morphological significance. Chinese characters evolved from pictographic characters, with some of these pictographs being created by ancient people based on their own body structure. This implies that the comprehension and depiction of the human body structure have been integral since the inception of Chinese characters, and this knowledge has been passed down and developed through the continued inheritance of Chinese characters. Even today, certain characters retain the appearance to reflect the shape of the human body structure. By examining the characters related to vertebrae, cranial fontanel and heart, we can find the unique and enduring link between Chinese characters and the fields of anatomy as well as Chinese traditional medicine., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

The oldest extant anatomy textbooks compiled in ancient Rome were by Galen who described in writing most of the various parts and organs of the body. History tells us that ever since the time of Galen, anatomical terminology would be a necessary and beneficial feature, but it also brought unexpected and annoying consequences into the field. The benefits are readily apparent in the case of muscle terminology. Galen identified more than 150 different kinds of skeletal muscles, most of which were unnamed, hence difficult to identify without professional knowledge of anatomy. Vesalius introduced detailed anatomical illustrations in Fabrica (1543), which made the identification of the muscles easier. Bauhin then introduced proper descriptive names for the muscles in Theatrum anatomicum (1605), which enabled the identification of the muscles without illustrations. After the terminology became complex and diverse, a logically consistent standard nomenclature was established by Nomina anatomica (1895). The unexpected consequences may be found in the terminology of bones and joints. Galen gave 39 proper names for individual bones, and classified and termed the types of bony joints. Many of these terms have survived in modern anatomy as literal translations of the bone terms, as well as the joint terms. The annoying consequences may be found in the terminology of intestines. Galen divided the small and large intestines into three portions, such that the major part of the small intestine suspended by the mesentery was divided into two without sufficient reason. The Latin translations of jejunum and ileum were, respectively assigned to them by Mondino in his Anatomia written in 1316., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

The development of a standard anatomical language in Spanish dates back to the early stages of medicine, and its significance lies in the necessity for a common vocabulary to describe the structures of the human body. Anatomists and morphologists have been striving to achieve this goal since the late nineteenth century when the first Anatomical Nomenclature was created in Basel in 1895. Over the years, various versions of the International Anatomical Terminology have been published in Spanish, following the guidelines of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA). These versions have been produced in partnership with the Spanish Anatomical Society and have aimed to adjust the terms to the Spanish language and linguistic rules. The Ibero-Latin American Symposia on Anatomical, Histological, and Embryological Terminology (SILAT) have embraced the naming of morphological structures, keeping in mind the Latin and Greek roots, while respecting the translations accepted by the linguistic rules of the official languages. These symposia stick to the principles of universality, precision in structure description, and consistency in terminology. Despite more than a century of progress in anatomical terminology, there is a need for frequent revisions and adjustments to anatomical terms, particularly when translating them into various languages and because of the high number of international publications related to anatomy. A shared anatomical language is essential for the study and application of anatomy across various medical practices and in undergraduate education. Finally, the establishment of anatomical terminology in Spanish represents a long history of efforts to create a universal and precise language in this field. Despite advancements, the revision and adaptation of anatomical terms remain a continuous challenge to keep up with scientific progress and ensure effective communication in the field of anatomy., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

Latin anatomical terminology has been codified since 1895. However, the situation is different for national anatomical terminologies. There are countries that have standardized anatomical terminology in their language, e.g., Poland, Slovenia, Japan, Spain, Hungary, others, such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia, are still lacking their own standardized and official terminology. In the Bohemian Lands, the first terms describing parts of the human body appeared as early as the ninth century in works written in Cyrillic script. The first comprehensive references to Czech anatomical terminology appeared in the fourteenth century. From the Baroque period, anatomical terms were preserved in the educational works of the Teacher of Nations Jan Amos Comenius' Janua linguarum reserata and Orbis sensualium pictus. Many of these terms have remained almost unchanged to this day, but some of them have acquired a pejorative meaning over time. We present here an overview of the history and examples of these terms describing parts of the human body., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

Although Josias Weitbrecht described the retinacula of the hip joint in his 1742 Syndesmologia, the anatomist Cesare Amantini of Perugia specifically studied the medial retinacula he referred to as the pectineofoveal fold in a late 19th-century monograph. This particular synovial fold stretches from the lesser trochanter to the osteocartilaginous junction of the femoral head along a virtual line connecting the lesser trochanter and the fovea for the ligament of the head. Although mentioned by some anatomists and radiologists, and despite its possible involvement in specific hip joint pathologies (fractures, impingements), it is surprising that Amantini's pectineofoveal fold remains ignored by most anatomy and clinical anatomy books. This study aims to verify if Cesare Amantini effectively drew attention to this synovial fold for the first time and coined the term "pectineofoveal fold," as well as determine whether most classical textbooks (i.e., published from 1890 to 2017) acknowledge the discovery and include it in the description of the hip joint. A possible evolutionary link between this synovial fold and the ambiens and pectineus muscles exists and should be discussed., (© 2024 American Association of Clinical Anatomists and British Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

During the 14th century CE, a pivotal shift took place in the world of medicine as its epicenter transitioned from the Middle East to Europe. The emergence of the European Renaissance sparked skepticism regarding the significance of Avicenna's contributions to the advancement of medicine. This paper explores how the rise of secularization and the Renaissance in Europe marked significant cultural transformations, fostering the spread of literacy. These societal shifts influenced the trajectory of medical thought, and Avicenna's "Canon of Medicine" received both praise and condemnation amidst the evolving intellectual landscape. In this context, Lorenz Fries composed his "Defense of Avicenna," a testament to his profound admiration for Avicenna's legacy. This paper presents an English translation of Fries' 1530 work, and introduces Fries and Avicenna's "Canon," contextualizing Fries' defense within the broader rejection of Arab-language medical texts in the 16th century. It also explores Avicenna's influence on European medicine and anatomy during the Renaissance and highlights the enduring relevance of his contributions to the annals of science. Fries' defense underscores Avicenna's methodological acumen and emphasizes the importance of a robust theoretical foundation in medical practice. Avicenna's integration of Aristotelianism with Platonism highlighted the necessity of a rigorous method informed by theory in medical analysis. Fries' defense remains relevant today, particularly in advocating for systematic medical analysis against subjective approaches. Avicenna's medical philosophy seems nested within a larger, hopeful attempt to resolve the tensions between science or naturalism and religion or spiritualism. The rejection of Avicenna reflects broader conflicts between Aristotelian and Neoplatonic traditions, suggesting a complex interplay of secularization and theological influences in shaping medical thought during the Renaissance., (© 2024 American Association of Clinical Anatomists and British Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

As the title indicates, this article deals with the origins of anatomic terminology and its development up to the present day. The first attempt to name anatomical structures in animals and humans date back to Alkmaion, i.e. to the fifth century BC. Further work has been done at the same time by the Hippocratics and about 100 years later by Aristotle. As the Alexandrians Erasistratos and Herophilos first in history dissected human bodies, they expanded the anatomical terms. Until Celsus (around Christ's birth) and even later on, anatomical terminology was almost exclusively based on the Greek language. Thus, Celsus and not-as frequently done-Galenos has to be called the father of Latin-based anatomical terminology. Due to several translations including Arabic, first periods of proverbial Bable resulted. Return to systematic order was achieved finally by Andreas Vesal (1514/15-1564) and Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624). But again due to translations into several national languages, the uniformity of the anatomical nomenclature was undermined. Thus, by the end of the nineteenth century, in 1895 the newly founded Anatomische Gesellschaft created a uniform terminology, the Basle Nomina Anatomica (BNA). Although it has been revised several times, it is still the very basic of human anatomical terminology. Recently, an attempt was made to replace it by English translations of the original Latin (and also still Greek) terms to mainly get machine-readable denominations. As this will result again in non-uniformity of terminology, the Anatomische Gesellschaft proposes a version of the latest, generally accepted terminology, based on the Latin terms but incorporating recent developments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Louis Hubert Farabeuf (1841-1910) was a reformer of clinical, surgical, and topographic human anatomy studies during the second half of the 19th century. Over 30 years as a professor of Anatomy, Farabeuf wrote outstanding anatomical textbooks. As the head of Anatomic Studies in the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, he succeeded in leading a profound restructuring of the way anatomy and surgery were taught. As a result of his work and research, several anatomical terms, clinical signs, and surgical instruments were named after him. For his outstanding career in anatomy, he was elected to the Academy of Medicine in 1897., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

William Aldren Turner (Fig. 1) was born in Edinburgh, the son of William Turner (1832-1916) who at the time was senior demonstrator in Anatomy at the University, later Professor (1867). His paternal grandmother was Margaret Aldren. He was not related to the American endocrinologist Henry Hubert Turner (1892-1970) who described Turner syndrome (monosomy X) in 1938. Fig. 1 William Aldren Turner (1864-1945)., (© 2024. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This paper discusses the historical context of collaborative research and authorship disputes, exemplified by the complex relationship between Dutch anatomist and physician Gerard L. Blaes and his East-Central European mentee, Daniel Gödtke, during the study of medulla spinalis. The study employs historical analysis to unravel the dynamics of scholarly collaboration, emphasizing the significance of mentorship in scientific progress and the communal nature of knowledge exchange. This historical analysis is based on primary sources and historical records. It underscores Blaes's strategy to circumvent public confrontations regarding the authorship of the seminal work 'Anatome medullae spinalis, et nervorum inde provenientium' (1666). As a teacher, he facilitated his student's participation in a public disputation to avert public authorship conflicts over the book. This ultimately led to the publication of two distinct versions of 'Anatome medullae spinalis.' The first one was co-authored by the mentor and his mentee, while the latter was solely attributed to the mentor. This historical narrative raises essential questions about attributing individual contributions in medical sciences, echoing concerns still pertinent in contemporary academia. Additionally, it makes visible the power dynamics inherent in faculty-students relationships and the potential repercussions of authorship disputes on scholars' reputations. By drawing parallels between historical and modern authorship dilemmas, this study contributes to ongoing discussions on equitable authorship in scientific research and publishing. It not only highlights a historical precedent for the complex dynamics of mentor-mentee collaborations and authorship disputes but also illuminates how these practices continue to influence contemporary academic and publishing customs., (© 2024 American Association for Anatomy.)

This historical retrospective examines the famous portrait of John Hunter by Sir Joshua Reynolds, focusing on the man and the objects that were chosen to represent his legacy in anatomy and surgery., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Anatomy is a foundational subject in medicine and serves as its language. Hippocrates highlighted its importance, while Herophilus pioneered human dissection, earning him the title of the founder of anatomy. Vesalius later established modern anatomy, which has since evolved historically. In Korea, formal anatomy education for medical training began with the introduction of Western medicine during the late Joseon Dynasty. Before and after the Japanese occupation, anatomy education was conducted in the German style, and after liberation, it was maintained and developed by a small number of domestic anatomists. Medicine in Korea has grown alongside the country's rapid economic and social development. Today, 40 medical colleges produce world-class doctors to provide the best medical care service in the country. However, the societal demand for more doctors is growing in order to proactively address to challenges such as public healthcare issues, essential healthcare provision, regional medical service disparities, and an aging population. This study examines the history, current state, and challenges of anatomy education in Korea, emphasizing the availability of medical educators, support staff, and cadavers for gross anatomy instruction. While variations exist between Seoul and provincial medical colleges, each manages to deliver adequate education under challenging conditions. However, the rapid increase in medical student enrollment threatens to strain existing anatomy education resources, potentially compromising educational quality. To address these concerns, we propose strategies for training qualified gross anatomy educators, ensuring a sustainable cadaver supply, and enhancing infrastructure., (© 2024 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.)

This column discusses the Anatomy Act 1977 (NSW) and its regulatory environment. The column begins with examining the history of anatomy regulation in the United Kingdom and Australia. It then goes on to analyse the history of the current anatomy regulation in New South Wales, pointing out areas for reform., Competing Interests: None declared.

This paper traces the history of Man's Anatomy , one of the most influential anatomy textbooks produced on the African continent. Authored by the two renowned South African educators Phillip Vallentine Tobias and Maurice Arnold, the first volume of this book was published in 1963. Both an anatomy textbook and a dissection manual Man's Anatomy included an in-depth exposition of structures of the human body, presented in an innovative and engaging way. In 1999, in line with the developments in medical and anatomy education as well as broader societal changes, the book was significantly condensed, and its name changed to Practical Anatomy . The second edition of Practical Anatomy was published in 2020 and is currently still in use at many South African universities., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The purpose of a standard terminology is to facilitate communication. Thus, changing the name of an anatomical structure or the meaning of an anatomical term undermines that aspiration and cuts connections with anatomy's long history. Two types of anatomical terms are the most vulnerable to logical arguments for revision-ones that are descriptive, but viewed, at least by some, as inaccurate, and ones that contain words that are polysemic or vague. A half dozen examples of each type are discussed, including ductus deferens, glandula seminalis, articulationes costochondrales, vulva and fascia. In general, traditional terms should be preserved, but judgments about which terms are traditional should be based on five centuries of modern anatomy, not just the past several decades., (© 2023 The Author. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists and British Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

Clinical anatomy education is meant to prepare students for caring for the living, often by working with the dead. By their nature many clinical anatomy education programs privilege topographical form  over the donor's humanity. This inbalance between the living and the dead generates tensions between the tangible and the spiritual insofar as semblances of the humanity of donors endure even in depictions and derivatives. This article argues that considering the relevance of spirituality, and what endures of a donor's humanity after death, would enhance contemporary anatomy education and the ethical treatment of human body donors (and derivatives). In developing this argument, we (the authors) address the historical connection between spirituality and anatomy, including the anatomical locations of the soul. This serves as a basis for examining the role of the mimetic-or imitative-potential of deceased human donors as representations of the living. We deliberate on the ways in which the depersonalization and anonymization of those donating challenge the mimetic purpose of human body donors and the extent to which such practices are misaligned with the health care shift  from a biomedical to a biopsychosocial model. Weighing up the risks and opportunities of anonymization versus personalization of human body donors, we propose curricula that could serve to enhance the personalization of human donors to support students learning topographical form. In doing so, we argue that the personalization of human donors and depictions could prevent the ill effects of digital representations going "viral," and enhance opportunities for donors to help the general public learn more about the human form., (© 2024 The Authors. Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)

The purpose of this article is to present a well-known physician and highlight his contribution into an essential, but neglected anatomical feature. George Sclavunos (1869-1954) was a 20th century Greek physician, whose scientific work was a significant milestone in global medical knowledge. In 1899 he became Professor of Anatomy and Head Director of the Department of Anatomy. In 1906 Sclavunos G. published the first volume of the three volume book "Human Anatomy" (1906-1926), which is characterized by its unparalleled illustrations. For more than a century it was the most important book of medical literature in Greece. In 1926 he became a Full Member of the Academy of Athens and was named Life Partner of the International Anatomical Society. His interests included Anatomy, Physiology, Histology, as well as Osteology and Syndesmology. In his book "Human Anatomy", he described for first time the "Sialine Groove of the Stomach", which was described by Waldeyer-Hartz almost at the same time as the "Magenstrasse", a German word that means "stomach road". It is a ribbon-like path that extends along the lesser curvature of the stomach from the gastric cardia to the antrum and releases the gastric content directly into the small intestine. Its importance is confirmed by its association not only with drug delivery, but also with anti-obesity surgical techniques. The old German term has come back into common medical usage in view of the commonly performed Magenstrasse and Mill procedure, a form of bariatric surgery. CONCLUSION: Sclavunos G. managed to observe an anatomical structure that has remained of great importance until today., (Copyright © 2024 Verzoviti et et al. This article is available under a Creative Commons License.)

Xavier Bichat, who lived a short life (1771-1802), was prominent French anatomist and physiologist during the time of revolution and one of the founders of French scientific medicine. He played a key role in the creation of the science of histology. Indeed, he was the first to see the organs of the body as being formed through the specialization of simple, functional units (tissues). Bichat is also known as one of the last of the major theorists of vitalism., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Anatomy textbooks´ connection to the rigid censoring laws enacted by Habsburg rulers, was never sufficiently investigated. Using anatomy textbooks written at the University of Vienna, our article aims at investigating the influence of censorship laws on the anatomy textbooks in Vienna between 1786 and 1865. In our case study we compared legal text and archival sources (source material A) with seven prefaces of textbooks written by Viennese anatomists (source material B). The prefaces were comparatively investigated by applying the following questions based on source material A: (1) What motives for writing the textbooks were indicated by the anatomists in the prefaces? (2) What legal or other influences were mentioned as motives that point to a connection to the censorship regulations installed? (3) Referring to changing censorship guidelines is there a change in the mentioned audience? Our results are that we found evidence for censorship regulations (source material A) in the prefaces (source material B). Also, the motives for writing those textbooks changed over time because of changing censorship regulations. Our findings show that Viennese anatomy textbooks were part of the Austrian censorship laws in the investigated period with a timely correlation between the appointment as professor and the publication of the textbooks and prefaces (indirectly) referring to censorship laws. The academic tradition of writing textbooks arose from this system, when freedom of speech stood in opposition to the absolute Habsburg reign. Thus, when working with historical anatomy textbooks it is important to reflect on their censorship heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatomy has always been at the intersection of the socio-cultural and political landscape, where new ideas constantly replace older wisdom. From ancient Egyptians through the Greeks, and then the Romans, finally culminating into the European Renaissance-all the significant eras of human civilisation have left their insignia and distinct marks on the evolution of anatomical practices. Despite its utility as a tool for anatomy pedagogy and research that has proven its worth over millennia, cadaveric dissection has particularly been subject to political and social vicissitudes. A major debate about anatomical dissection lay with the ethical considerations, or its lack thereof, while acquiring corpses for demonstration in the dissection halls. From antiquity, anatomical dissection-often synonymous with medical studies-had typically been carried out on the dead bodies of executed criminals with certain laws, such as the Murder Act of 1752, facilitating such uses. Gradually, the uses of unclaimed bodies, resourced primarily from the impoverished sections of society, were also introduced. However, these body acquisition protocols often missed the crucial element of humanism and ethical considerations, while knowledge augmentation was taken as sufficient reasoning. Unfortunately, a gross disregard towards humanistic values promulgated heinous and illegal practices in acquiring corpses, including grave robbery and even murders like in the case of Burke and Hare murders of 1828. Follow-up legislation, such as the Anatomy Act of 1832, and comparable laws in other European nations were passed to curb the vile. What distils from such a historical discourse on humane values in anatomy dissection, or medical science in general, is that the growth and integration of humanism in anatomy have never been linear, but there were intermittent and, yet, significant disruptions in its timeline. For example, there were serious human rights violations in anatomical practices during the Third Reich in Germany that perpetrated the holocaust. The medical community has kept evolving and introducing new moral values and principles while using such egregious events as lessons, ultimately resulting in the Declaration of Helsinki in 1964. This article revisits the heterogeneous journey of integrating humanistic values in anatomy practice. Such humanistic traits that, like medical science, have also developed over centuries through the inputs of physicians, researchers, and philosophers-from Greece to modernity with an important stopgap at the Renaissance-are a fascinating lore that deserves to be re-envisioned through the lens of contemporary values and ethos. In parallel to human medicine, humanistic values continue to influence veterinary medicine, a welcome development, as our society condemns animal cruelty in any form. There are lessons to be learned from this historical journey of how humanism shaped many of the concepts that anatomists use now. Finally, and most importantly, it might prevent the medical community from repeating the same mistakes by cautioning against the traps that are there, and in a convoluted world where morality as such is eroding from our social fabric, will always be there. Such historical account acts as a righteous, ethical, and contextual compass to guide the existing and upcoming anatomists in discerning between light and dark, right and wrong, and roads-to be or not to be-taken., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Anatomical Society.)

Bartolomeo Panizza (1785-1867) was an eminent anatomist and a pupil of Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832) at the University of Pavia. In 1855, before the revolutionary studies of Paul Broca (1824-1880) on aphasia that supported the theory of cortical localizations, Panizza delivered a lecture in Milan on the anatomy of the visual system, Osservazioni sul Nervo Ottico ("Observations on the optic nerve"). This lecture contains the first description of the cortical projection of the visual pathways in the occipital lobe, anticipating the revolutionary studies performed by Hermann Munk (1839-1912) in the late 19 th century. The findings of Panizza questioned the assumption of the French physiologist, Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens (1794-1867) who was defending the holistic concept of cerebral equipotentiality, which was widely accepted among the scientific community in the early 19 th century. The present essay highlights the life and the scientific studies of Bartolomeo Panizza, with emphasis on the issue of cerebral localization that was simmering in the scientific community at that time.

Giovanni Morgagni remains an eminent figure in the field of pathological anatomy. Born in Forli, Italy, he excelled as a child. He entered medical school at the age of 16 years old in Bologna. By the age of 31 he held the chair position at the University of Padua. During his tenure, he discovered many anatomical and pathological findings, with the most widely known discovery being the Morgagni Hernia. Morgagni first described this eponymic hernia in an adult stonecutter during an autopsy. In addition to his many discoveries, his most esteemed written contribution to the field of medicine came in the form of a five-volume book titled De Sedibus et Causis Morborum per Anatomen Indagatis , in which he correlated cadaveric anatomy and symptomatology revealed upon autopsy. He remained on faculty at the University of Padua for over five decades until his death in 1771., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This article analyses the complex narrative of Harriet Cole, a 36-year-old African-American woman whose body was delivered to the anatomy department of Hahnemann Medical School in 1888. The anatomist Rufus B Weaver used her preserved remains to create a singular anatomical specimen, an intact extraction of the 'cerebro-spinal nervous system'. Initially anonymised, deracialised and unsexed, the central nervous system specimen endured for decades before her identity as a working-class woman of colour was reunited with her remains. In the 1930s, media accounts began to circulate that Harriet Cole had bequeathed her remains to the anatomist, a claim that continues to circulate uncritically in the biomedical literature today. Although we conclude that this is likely a confabulation that erased the history of violence to her autonomy and her dead body, the rhetorical possibility that Harriet Cole might have chosen to donate her body to the medical school reflects the racial, political and legal dimensions that influenced how and why the story of Harriet Cole's 'gift' served multiple purposes in the century and a half since her death., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Anatomical sciences involve handling of human tissues and, therefore, application of principles of bioethics is central to anatomical practice. For a considerable period of time, anatomy was practiced without ethical norms as concept of ethics developed during second half of twentieth century. Hence, possible glimpse into contrast in ethical standards between anatomy in the past and present was deemed as an intriguing research theme., Methods: A literature search was undertaken from indexed databases (Medline and Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science and Google Scholar). Relevant data were extracted from 37 articles that were selected from an initial pool of 752 articles based on search criteria set for the study., Results: Prevalent anatomical practices in the past such as dissection of executed criminals, acts of vivisection, illegal procurement of human remains, use of human tissues obtained as part of war crimes and dissection of human fetuses as well as their archival were analyzed through prism of established ethical norms in present day. The observations from past were presented vis-à-vis ethical practices undertaken in present times such as use of donated bodies and/or body parts procured through legal means for dissection, adherence to ethical norms during dissection, archival of human tissues mandating stringent regulation and dignified disposal of human remains. Existing loop holes were identified and future prospects regarding ethical standards in anatomy were highlighted based on rational judgment of existing trends., Conclusion: The article concludes with defense on future prospects of ethics in anatomy based on documented arguments., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

In the second century ce, Galen described seven pairs of cerebral nerves. He did not name the nerves, nor did he illustrate his work. Galen's descriptive texts survived until the mid-sixteenth century, when anatomists, influenced by the artistic and scientific revolution of the Renaissance, began a reformation in anatomical research. They closely observed their own dissected material and conveyed their results not only in words but commonly by lavish drawings. Many of the great anatomists reexamined the cerebral nerves, adding descriptive text or changing the classification. In 1778, Thomas Soemmerring (1755-1830) named 12 pairs of cerebral nerves upon which the modern cranial nerve nomenclature is based. Soemmerring matched his text with clear, decisive illustrations. This article describes the works of some of the great artists in the period from Vesalius to Soemmerring and how they used illustration to supplement and provide clarity for their textual descriptions of the cranial nerves.

Present day scenario regarding epistemological methods in anatomy is in sharp contrast to the situation during ancient period. This study aimed to explore the evolution of epistemological methodologies in anatomy across centuries. In ancient times Egyptian embalmers acquired anatomical knowledge from handling human bodies and likewise anatomical studies in India involved human dissection. Ancient Greeks used theological principles-based methods, animal dissection and human dissection in practice of anatomy. Human dissection was also practiced in ancient China for gaining anatomical knowledge. Prohibition of human dissection led to use of animal dissection in ancient Rome and the trend continued in Europe through Middle Ages. Epistemological methods used by Muslim scholars during Middle Ages are not clearly chronicled. Human dissection returned as primary epistemological method in Renaissance Europe and empirical methods were reinstated after ancient period in human dissection during 16th century. The situation further improved with introduction of pragmatic experiment based approach during 17th century and autopsy-based methods during 18th century. Advances in anatomical knowledge continued with advent of microscope-based methods and emergence of anatomical sections in practice of human dissection in 19th century. Introduction of human observational studies, medical imaging, and molecular methods presented more options in terms of epistemological methods for investigating the human body during 20th century. Onset of 21st century has witnessed dominance of technology-based methods in anatomy. Limited emphasis on ethics in epistemological methodologies since antiquity is a dark aspect of otherwise an eventful evolutionary journey but recent developments are in positive direction., (© 2021 American Association for Anatomy.)

French surgeon and anatomist Eugène-Louis Doyen (1859-1916) was a focus of controversy and scandal throughout his career, an innovative surgeon of great technical skill whose unsurpassed abilities were offset by narcissistic and frequently unethical behavior. Doyen produced the most controversial atlas of human anatomy of the early-twentieth century, his Atlas d'Anatomie Topographique . He used a chemical process to fix whole cadavers, then used a motorized band saw with a sliding table to precisely cut sequential slices in all three anatomic planes. His intentionally arresting images of the nervous system in situ (using heliotypes in his atlas and projected images of prepared specimens in his lectures) made for gruesome theater, directed more at the public than the medical profession, which Doyen disdained and delighted in antagonizing. Although photography and photomechanical reproduction facilitated the rapid production of Doyen's atlas, many of the fine details were lost. In addition, although he developed tissue fixation techniques that preserved the natural colors of tissues, this was not evident in the monochrome images of the printed atlas. Doyen's atlas is compared with other anatomic atlases of the late-nineteenth century that included serial sections of the central nervous system, either from sections of entire cadavers, the isolated head, or the excised brain. In retrospect, Doyen's fevered activity, including his efforts to depict the topographic anatomy of the nervous system, produced only modest benefits, and often produced significant costs for his patients, his colleagues, the medical profession, and his own reputation.

Andreas Vesalius initially accepted Galen's ideas concerning the rete mirabile in humans. In 1538, Vesalius drew a diagram of the human rete mirabile as a plexiform termination of the carotid arteries, where the vital spirit is transformed into the animal spirit, before being distributed from the brain along the nerves to the body. In 1540, Vesalius demonstrated the rete mirabile at a public anatomy, using a sheep's head (due to his nascent realization that he could not demonstrate this adequately in a human cadaver, potentially eliciting ridicule). By 1543, Vesalius had fully reversed himself, denied the existence of the rete mirabile in humans, and castigated himself for his prior failure to recognize this error in Galen's works. Vesalius nevertheless illustrated both the Galenic conception of the rete mirabile in humans and a schematic of the rete mirabile in ungulates. He intended the 1543 diagram of the human rete mirabile as an example of a mistake that resulted from Galen's overreliance on animals as models of human anatomy. However, in spite of Vesalius's intentions, for more than a century afterward, his figure was repeatedly and perversely plagiarized by advocates for Galenic doctrine, who misused it as a purportedly realistic representation of human anatomy and generally omitted the contrary opinions of Berengario da Carpi and Vesalius. The protracted use of stereotyped representations of the rete mirabile in extant printed illustrations provides tangible documentation of the stagnation in anatomical thought in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Of the early-sixteenth century pre-Vesalian anatomists, Magnus Hundt in 1501 and Johannes Eichmann (known as Johann Dryander) in 1537 both attempted to summarize the anatomy of the head and brain in a single complex figure. Dryander clearly based his illustration on the earlier one from Hundt, but he made several improvements, based in part on Dryander's own dissections. Whereas Hundt's entire monograph was medieval in character, Dryander's monograph was a mixture of medieval and early-modern frameworks; nevertheless, the corresponding illustrations of the anatomy of the head and brain in Hundt (1501) and Dryander (Dryandrum 1537) were both essentially medieval. This article examines in detail the symbology of both illustrations within the context of the medieval framework for neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. These two woodcuts of the head and brain provide the most detailed pictorial representation of medieval cranial anatomy in a printed book prior to the work of Andreas Vesalius in 1543.

By the mid-1950s, formal body donation programs began to supplant the decades-long reliance on the anatomy acts that made the bodies of the indigent and unclaimed available for medical education and research. By the mid-1980s, nearly all American medical schools relied on voluntary anatomical gifts of dead bodies. Throughout the nineteenth century, a handful of Americans requested through wills, letters, and suicide notes that their corpses be given to doctors and medical schools. The dramatic expansion of American newspapers after the Civil War helped establish bequeathing one's body as an available, albeit eccentric, afterlife. A significant shift in American deathways in the twentieth century, the rise of blood donation and organ transplantation, and a serious decline in the number of unclaimed bodies spurred anatomists finally to accept, and then to promote, this new corporeal philanthropy.

Carl Florian Toldt was an Austrian anatomist who made meaningful contributions worldwide and defined what is one of the most important surgical landmarks in abdominal surgery. Through his research studies, the embryologic dissection plane known as the "White Line of Toldt" represents an important anatomical landmark that helps to mobilize either the ascending or descending colon. His career spanned over 45 years, beginning in Verona and continuing to Prague and Vienna. He was an author of several innovative books and scientific articles regarding micro- and macroscopic anatomy. In addition, he received numerous recognitions and prizes for his work, making him an essential figure in the medical scientific community. Even a street in Vienna, Karl-Toldt-Weg, is named in his honor. The purpose of this historical article is to celebrate and honor Toldt 100 years following his death, remembering his scientific contributions to the medical and surgical fields and giving thanks for his numerous accomplishments. This article brings light to the man behind the eponym.

The modern view that the human body is composed of tissues and body fluids, and that there are four basic tissue types, may be a more significant departure from Artistotle's homoeomeres, and from Bichat's membranes and tissues, than commonly appreciated. The older concepts described these body parts as structural and functional parts of organs, whereas it is now commonplace to consider a tissue to be a grouping of similar cells with a variable amount of extracellular matrix. The development of the microscope as a useful tool in human anatomy shifted focus from tissues to cells and led to changes in the definition of tissue and the classification of tissues. Not all of these changes have been consistent with observable facts: many tissues contain diverse cell types, not all "connective tissues" are proper connective tissues, and some specialized tissues are not easily classified as subtypes of one of the four basic types. Here we propose corrective measures, including re-recognition of compound tissues, cataloging all adult human tissue types, and increasing the emphasis on function during the construction of a complete taxonomy of human adult tissues. Specific problems in the current scheme and a preliminary reclassification of human adult tissues are discussed., (© 2021 American Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

The definition of pudendum is external genitalia. The term pudendum is used to describe external genitalia regardless of sex. The labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, penis, scrotum, testes, and so on are all parts of the human pudenda. The female pudendum is also called the vulva. Also, nonhuman species have pudenda. Pudendum is a term that has been part of the formal anatomical nomenclature for a millennium. Recently, the meaning of pudendum has been perverted and misinterpreted as synonymous with only the vulva and to come from an etymological root term with the narrowly defined meaning "to be ashamed." The misunderstanding of pudendum is twofold. First, pudendum describes the external genitalia indiscriminate of sex; however, terms such as pudendum muliebre/pudendum femininum and pudendum virile/pudendum masculinum have been used throughout history to identify pudenda with respect to sex. Second, the meaning of the root term pudere has been taken out of context. The meaning of the root term is inclusive of respect, modesty, honesty, honor, virtue, awe, veneration, and so on and has a positive connotation rather than a negative connotation, akin to sacrum, for example. Indeed, pudendum shares its etymological root with the names of goddesses and saints (e.g., Pudicitia, Saint Pudens, Saint Pudentiana). This manuscript provides details regarding anatomical etymology and both the historical and modern use of anatomical terminology related to pudendum. Furthermore, this manuscript remedies the perversion of pudendum and, in doing so, improves the anatomical lexicon., (© 2020 American Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

Dissections and autopsies are critical for understanding human anatomy, pathology, and uncovering mechanisms of disease. This review presents an historical journey from ancient times until the late Middle Ages. The major steps and developments are summarized with key figures and events presented., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The fetal circulatory system bypasses the lungs and liver with three shunts. The foramen ovale allows the transfer of the blood from the right to the left atrium, and the ductus arteriosus permits the transfer of the blood from the pulmonary artery to the aorta. The ductus venosus is the continuation of the umbilical vein, allowing a large part of the oxygenated blood from the placenta to join the supradiaphragmatic inferior vena cava, bypassing the fetal liver and directly connecting the right atrium. These structures are named after the physicians who are thought to have discovered them. The foramen ovale and the ductus arteriosus are called the "foramen Botalli" and the "ductus Botalli," after Leonardo Botallo (1530-c. 1587). The ductus venosus is styled "ductus Arantii" after Giulio Cesare Arantius (1530-1589). However, these eponyms have been incorrectly applied as these structures were, in fact, discovered by others earlier. Indeed, the foramen ovale and the ductus arteriosus were described by Galen of Pergamon centuries earlier (c. 129-210 AD). He understood that these structures were peculiar to the fetal heart and that they undergo closure after birth. The ductus venosus was first described by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) 3 years before Arantius. Therefore, the current anatomical nomenclature of the fetal cardiac shunts is historically inappropriate., (© 2020 Anatomical Society.)

Introduction: The classification of the accessory nerve (CN XI) remains a source of debate; its exact function has not been fully elucidated having also an atypical morphology for a cranial nerve. A better insight into its anatomical and physiological features is of clinical relevance. The aim was to conduct a review of 18th and 19th century books from the Royal Medical/Surgical Colleges in Scotland, United Kingdom. A contextual historical analysis of the depictions and descriptions of the accessory nerve could provide insight into the disparity in the current descriptions., Materials and Methods: Online archive catalogues were systematically searched and, during site visits, resources were formally and contextually analyzed, with the information then thematically analyzed. The themes were discussed against a widely known reference textbook of the era., Results: Based on the thematic analysis, the resources were categorized either as practical anatomy books or field-specific anatomy books including neuroanatomy atlases. This intended use, along with the target audience, influenced the scope and detail of information, typically with general anatomy for students in the practical resources, and specialist information in the field-specific resources. The authors' professional background also influenced the way the accessory nerve was described and/or depicted, with surgeons/physicians placing emphasis on the clinical aspects. Content variations could also be attributed to communication restrictions of the era, and associated purchasing costs., Conclusions: Although scientific advances are nowadays disseminated at a faster pace, actively bridging the gap between anatomical sciences and clinical research is still needed when considering the accessory nerve to further elucidate the mysteries of this structure., (© 2020 The Authors. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

Introduction: Communication in the biomedical sciences and clinical practice would be clearer if everyone used the same set of technical terms. Technical vocabularies, such as international standard terminologies, are attempts to avoid common linguistic problems, such as synonymy (many names for a single entity) and polysemy (many meanings for a single term)., Materials and Methods: Efforts made in human anatomical nomenclature since the late 19th century to deal with these issues were reviewed., Results: The new designations official term, equivalent term, synonym and related term are defined, and current challenges (e.g., eponyms) are identified., Discussion: The addition of synonyms and related terms to the international standard anatomical terminology allows indexing of these terms to the official terms and evaluation of the relationships between terms., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The anatomical terminology for the female external genitalia, "pudendum," was removed from the second edition of the Terminologia Anatomica (2019) in response to opposition of the Latin root of the word (pudēre meaning "to be ashamed"). This recent revision provides an opportunity to discuss sex inequality within the history of anatomy. This viewpoint article compares the evolution of modern anatomical terminology toward clarity and precision to the stagnant non-descriptive naming of the "pudendum" to illuminate a long timeline of the societal misperception of women. Claudius Galen (129-216 BC) used the Greek αιδοίον/aidoion (from αἰδώς/aidos meaning shame, respect, or modesty) to describe both the male and female external genitalia, as he believed that men and women were isomorphic, the difference lying only in the positioning of the reproductive organs. Galen, however, was not always impartial in his comparisons, repeatedly describing the female as inferior to the male. Andreas Vesalius (1543), whose illustrations greatly influenced the study of anatomy, later drew the female genitalia as Galen described them, as internal equivalents of male genitalia, codifying female shame within anatomical terminology. While renaming "pudendum" is a noble step in support of women, changing one word will not undo generations of implicit bias and institutional oppression. We can, however, work to create culturally and psychosocially competent future physicians through the integrative study of sex and gender issues and anatomy. Through an understanding of historical context, physicians can refocus their actions on providing care in a way that leaves the patient feeling proud, not ashamed., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The so-called membranous septum is the fibrous component of the septal structures within the heart. It is relatively subtle in its appearance, but of considerable significance to the understanding of cardiac function and cardiac disease, both congenital and acquired. Surprisingly, its existence was seemingly unknown until the early decades of the 19th century. At this time, those writing in the English language described it as the "undefended space," recognizing its importance in the setting of its aneurysmal dilation, and as the site of septal defects. By the initial decade of the 20th century, it had come to be recognized as the landmark to the site of atrioventricular bundle. Over the first decade of the 21st century, its clinical significance has been emphasized in the context of transcutaneous replacement of the aortic valve. In this review, we describe our own recent investigations of this fibrous part of the septal structures. At the same time, we provide a glimpse of our anatomic past, explaining how its initial description relied on the observations of young physicians taking their first steps in the investigation of cardiac anatomy., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)