Medical Renaissance
At the beginning of this period, around 1400, doctors did not understand anatomy and physiology. They had a lot of ideas that sound strange to modern people. Several things helped scientists make progress. Starting in the 1450s, the printing press made it possible for medical books to be mass-produced. This made it easy for medical knowledge to spread. Scientists published books sharing knowledge about anatomy and physiology. In 1543, Andreas Vesalius published De humani corporis fabrica (“On the fabric of the human body”), a detailed anatomy book. This was the first time in history that realistic diagrams of dissections were published. By studying anatomy, physicians learnt the positions of bones, muscles, and organs.