Frederick the Second: Pulling Anatomy Out of the Dark Ages
Sixthly, he fed two men most excellently at dinner, one of whom he sent forthwith to sleep, and the other to hunt; and that same evening he caused them to be disembowelled in his presence, wishing to know which had digested the better: and it was judged by the physicians in favour of him who had slept." |
Salimbene, a friar and chronicler who knew Frederick the Second, wrote of this account of Frederick ordering for the dissection of a human being.
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1231: Frederick II issues law authorizing a quinquennial dissection at Salerno. |
Frederick the Second is single-handedly credited with pulling the field of anatomy out of the dark ages." Although not documented at the time, it is widely accepted among historians that Frederick the Second passed important laws in favor of dissection, allowing for dissection to begin to become accepted by law in society.
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1241: Law of Frederick II favoring dissection and regulating surgery and pharmacy.-Fielding Gudson Harrison, "An Introduction to the History of Medicine" |