Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), Belgian anatomist, with anatomical equipment and books. Aged 24, Vesalius was made professor of anatomy and surgery at Padua University, Italy. He lectured in many universities, conducting anatomical demonstrations in person. In 1543, Vesalius published his lectures in a book, De Corporis Humani Fabrica (On the Structure of the Human Body), which set a completely new level of accuracy in anatomy. His book was controversial because it disagreed with the accepted medical authority of the time, the works of the Roman physician Galen. Vesalius' book was rich in detailed illustrations of the human body, and acquired a reputation for its great beauty. Engraving from the 1875 edition of Vies des Savants Illustres.