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Dissection revisited: Deciphering bodies and ancient medical texts

descriptionPublicationkeyboard_double_arrow_right Article , Other literature type 02 Dec 2024 English Publisher:Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesJournal:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, volume 121 (issn: 0027-8424, eissn: 1091-6490,

Authors: Andres Pelavski; Esteban Marroquin-Arroyave; Joshua Milgram; Orly Lewis;

doi: 10.1073/pnas.2416336121

pmid: 39621901

pmc: PMC11648912

handle: 11351/12518

Dissection revisited: Deciphering bodies and ancient medical texts

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Abstract

Unlike traditional approaches to Greco-Roman medicine, which are strongly based on textual evidence, we addressed some problems, currently debated by historians, through a technique borrowed from the biological sciences: We reenacted an ancient anatomical dissection of the abdominal wall, the peritoneal cavity, and its organs (as described by Galen during the 2nd century CE, in his major treatise Anatomical Proceedings). Our aim was to clarify incongruencies about the text itself—considering the errors generated during its 14-century-long hand-copied manuscript tradition—and infer answers to contextual questions, such as the aim of the author, his audience, and the setting where the dissections took place. This hands-on practical method provided extratextual evidence to ongoing scholarly debates, which until now were mainly approached through textual scrutiny.

Related Organizations

Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Israel
Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari
Spain

Keywords

Medicina - Història, ANATOMY::Body Regions::Torso::Abdomen::Abdominal Wall, DISCIPLINAS Y OCUPACIONES::disciplinas de las ciencias naturales::disciplinas de las ciencias biológicas::anatomía, Dissection, Abdominal Wall, ANALYTICAL, DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES, AND EQUIPMENT::Investigative Techniques::Clinical Laboratory Techniques::Specimen Handling::Dissection, Manuscripts, Medical as Topic, HUMANITIES::Humanities::History::History, Ancient, HUMANIDADES::humanidades::historia::historia antigua, Biological Sciences, Paret abdominal - Dissecció, TÉCNICAS Y EQUIPOS ANALÍTICOS, DIAGNÓSTICOS Y TERAPÉUTICOS::técnicas de investigación::técnicas de laboratorio clínico::manejo de muestras::disección, Anatomia, Humans, Anatomy, DISCIPLINES AND OCCUPATIONS::Natural Science Disciplines::Biological Science Disciplines::Anatomy, History, Ancient, ANATOMÍA::regiones corporales::tronco::abdomen::pared abdominal

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	impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.	Average