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at Vesalius made observations on the China…root； on which he published a monograph in 1546。 The Paduan School was close to Venice and associated with it； so that the young student had probably many opportunities of going to and fro。 On the sixth of December； 1537； before he had reached his twenty…fourth year and shortly after taking his degree； he was elected to the chair of surgery and anatomy at Padua。
The task Vesalius set himself to accomplish was to give an accurate description of all the parts of the human body； with proper illustrations。 He must have had abundant material； more； probably； than any teacher before him had ever had at his disposal。 We do not know where he conducted his dissections； as the old amphitheatre has disappeared； but it must have been very different from the tiny one put up by his successor； Fabricius； in 1594。 Possibly it was only a temporary building； for he says in the second edition of the 〃Fabrica〃 that he had a splendid lecture theatre which accommodated more than five hundred spectators （p。 681）。
With Vesalius disappeared the old didactic method of teaching anatomy。 He did his own dissections； made his own preparations； and； when human subjects were scarce； employed dogs； pigs or cats； and occasionally a monkey。 For five years he taught and worked at Padua。 He is known to have given public demonstrations in Bologna and elsewhere。 In the 〃China…root〃 he remarks that he once taught in three universities in one year。 The first fruit of his work is of great importance in connection with the evolution of his knowledge。 In 1538； he published six anatomical tables issued apparently in single leaves。 Of the famous 〃Tabulae Anatomicae〃 only two copies are known； one in the San Marco Library； Venice； and the other in the possession of Sir John Stirling…Maxwell； whose father had it reproduced in facsimile （thirty copies only） in 1874。 Some of the figures were drawn by Vesalius himself； and some are from the pencil of his friend and countryman； Stephan van Calcar。 Those plates were extensively pirated。 About this time he also edited for the Giunti some of the anatomical works of Galen。＇21＇
＇21 De anatomicis administrationibus； De venarum arterinrumque dissectione； included in the various Juntine editions of Galen。
We know very little of his private life at Padua。 His most important colleague in the faculty was the famous Montanus； professor of medicine。 Among his students and associates was the Englishman Caius； who lived in the same house with him。 When the output is considered； he cannot have had much spare time at Padua。
He did not create human anatomythat had been done by the Alexandriansbut he studied it in so orderly and thorough a manner that for the first time in history it could be presented in a way that explained the entire structure of the human body。 Early in 1542 the MS。 was ready； the drawings had been made with infinite care； the blocks for the figures had been cut； and in September； he wrote to Oporinus urging that the greatest pains should be taken with the book； that the paper should be strong and of equal thickness； the workmen chosen for their skill； and that every detail of the pictures must be distinctly visible。 He writes with the confidence of a man who realized the significance of the work he had done。 It is difficult to speak in terms of moderation of the 〃Fabrica。〃 To appreciate its relative value one must compare it with the other anatomical works of the period； and for this purpose I put before you two figures from a text…book on the subject that was available for students during the first half of the sixteenth century。 In the figures and text of the 〃Fabrica〃 we have anatomy as we know it； and let us be honest and say； too； largely as Galen knew it。 Time will not allow me to go into the question of the relations of these two great anatomists； but we must remember that at this period Galen ruled supreme； and was regarded in the schools as infallible。 And now； after five years of incessant labor； Vesalius was prepared to leave his much loved Padua and his devoted students。 He had accomplished an extraordinary work。 He knew； I feel sure； what he had done。 He knew that the MSS。 contained something that the world had not seen since the great Pergamenian sent the rolls of his 〃Manual of Anatomy〃 among his friends。 Too precious to entrust to any printer but the bestand the best in the middle of the sixteenth century was Transalpinehe was preparing to go north with the precious burden。 We can picture the youthful teacherhe was but twenty…eightamong students in a university which they themselves controlledsome of them perhaps the very men who five years before had elected himat the last meeting with his class； perhaps giving a final demonstration of the woodcuts； which were of an accuracy and beauty never seen before by students' eyes； and reading his introduction。 There would be sad hearts at the parting； for never had anyone taught anatomy as he had taught itno one had ever known anatomy as he knew it。 But the strong； confident look was on his face and with the courage of youth and sure of the future； he would picture a happy return to attack new and untried problems。 Little did he dream that his happy days as student and teacher were finished； that his work as an anatomist was over； that the most brilliant and epoch…making part of his career as a professor was a thing of the past。 A year or more was spent at Basel with his friend Oporinus supervising the printing of the great work； which appeared in 1543 with the title 〃De Humani Corporis Fabrica。〃 The worth of a book； as of a man； must be judged by results； and； so judged； the 〃Fabrica〃 is one of the great books of the world； and would come in any century of volumes which embraced the richest harvest of the human mind。 In medicine； it represents the full flower of the Renaissance。 As a book it is a sumptuous tome a worthy setting of his jewelpaper； type and illustration to match； as you may see for yourselves in this foliothe chef d'oeuvre of any medical library。
In every section； Vesalius enlarged and corrected the work of Galen。 Into the details we need not enter： they are all given in Roth's monograph； and it is a chapter of ancient history not specially illuminating。
Never did a great piece of literary work have a better setting。 Vesalius must have had a keen appreciation of the artistic side of the art of printing； and he must also have realized the fact that the masters of the art had by this time moved north of the Alps。
While superintending the printing of the precious work in the winter of 1542…1543 in Basel； Vesalius prepared for the medical school a skeleton from the body of an executed man； which is probably the earliest preparation of the kind in Europe。 How little anatomy had been studied at the period may be judged from that fact that there had been no dissection at Basel since 1531。＇22＇ The specimen is now in the Vesalianum； Basel； of which I show you a picture taken by Dr。 Harvey Cushing。 From the typographical standpoint no more superb volume on anatomy has been issued from any press； except indeed the second edition； issued in 1555。 The paper is； as Vesalius directed；