t unexpected sources,
that Vesalius took special interest in certain treatises of Albertus
Magnus and Michael Scotus, which treated of the human body in the
vague, curious way of the medieval scholars, and yet with a precious
amount of information, that this inquisitive youth eagerly drank in.
More interesting for Vesalius himself were certain studies undertaken
entirely independently of his university course. One of his {103}
biographers tells that he dissected small animals, rats and mice, and
occasionally even dogs and cats, in his eagerness to learn the details
of anatomy for himself and at first hand.

After graduating at Louvain in philosophy and philology, Vesalius went
to Paris to study medicine. At this time at Paris, Sylvius, after whom
one of the most important fissures of the brain, the sylvian, is
named, was not only teaching anatomy in a very interesting way, but
was also providing opportunities for original research in anatomy in
connection with his own investigations. The interest that his teaching
excited may be gathered from the fact that over 400 students were in
attendance at his lectures. Besides Sylvius, Guenther of Andernach in
Switzerland was also teaching in Paris, and with both of these
distinguished professors Vesalius became intimately associated. His
deep interest in the subject of anatomy would of itself be quite
sufficient to attract the attention of professors, but he had besides
the added advantage of being known as the descendant of a family which
had occupied prominent posts as medical attendants to the greatest
ruling family of Europe.

It was at Paris, then, that Vesalius first was able to devote himself
with the intense ardor of his character to the study of anatomy.
Nothing less than original research at first hand would satisfy his
ardent desire for information and his thirst for accurate knowledge.
His practical temper of mind was demonstrated by a revolution that he
worked in the method of doing dissections at the time. The dissections
in Paris used to be performed by the barber-surgeons, as a rule rather
ignorant men, who knew little of their work beyond the barest outline
of the technics of dissection. Teachers in {104} anatomy used to stand
by and direct the operation and demonstrate the various parts. These
teachers, however, considered it quite beneath them to use the knife
themselves. The faultiness of this method can be readily understood.
Vesalius began a new era in th