Andreas Vesalius on the Preparation of Osteological Specimens

Abstract

In 1543, Andreas Vesalius dissected and prepared the skeleton of a murderer called Jakob Karrer, and gave the specimen to the university of Basle. This specimen, now kept in the Vesalianum Museum of this university, is one of the most ancient anatomical specimens in the world. The analysis of the initials and capital letters of Vesalius' "Fabrica" enables us to understand the procedure used by this famous anatomist to prepare human skeletons.