Mondino's major work, "Anathomia corporis humani", written in 1316, is considered the first example of a modern dissection manual and the first true anatomical text. The earliest edition of the work was printed in Padua between 1475 and 1478, and more than 40 editions are thought to exist. By the 14th century, the practice of anatomy had come to involve the dissection of a cadaver according to prescribed rules; "Anathomia" was intended as a handbook to guide this process. "Anathomia" remained the most widely used anatomical text for 250 years (through the 16th century) because it clearly and concisely provided the important technical indications involved in the dissection process, including the steps involved and the reasoning behind the organization of these procedures. Unlike his predecessors, Mondino focuses specifically on anatomical descriptions rather than engaging in a larger discourse on pathology and surgery in general.