The oldest permanent anatomical theater in Padua, Italy
Can you accept locking you in a room with a corpse?
Normal people will be a little resistant, and even some people leave some psychological shadow for this.
Because even if reason tells you that the corpse is dead, you know that he once lived!
The specially designed fence structure in the picture above is an anatomical theater in the 16th century in the Padua region of Italy.
"Theater?!"
In your impression, isn't the theater a place to watch a show, and how can it have something to do with anatomy?
For a long time, however, dissecting corpses was indeed considered an "unparalleled" performance.
Anatomical performance
The body was placed in the most central part, and then the skilled surgical professors with experience in dissection stood next to the corpse.
Then, pick up the sharp blade and cleanly cut through the skin of the corpse.
Then, layer by layer, the parts that can be seen in front of the eyes are carefully separated and cut off.
The spectators sitting outside behind them carefully looked at everything they could see.
Finally, the isolated tissues and organs are described and shown in detail to the seated population.
You might be wondering why these people are doing this!
This is related to an order from the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.
He stipulated that anyone who wanted to practice medicine must undergo an autopsy every five years.
In those days, however, dissection was rare because it was strictly regulated by the Christian church and only a small number of dissections could be performed each year.
This directly led to the scarcity of corpses!
As a result, many anatomists have to resort to illegal means (such as stealing, snatching corpses, and even murder).
Under this great demand, a special structural structure called the Anatomy Theater emerged.
In the center of the theater stands the operating table, where surgeons perform surgeries.
The table is surrounded by several layers of seating, like a Roman amphitheater.
With these favorable positions, observers can get a good idea of the anatomy of the detailed operational procedures.
In order to meet the growing demand for medical teaching and the growing demand for medical students, the first anatomy theater was founded in Italy in the 15th century.
Anatomy Theatre in Padua
The Anatomy Theater was built in 1594 at the University of Padua in northern Italy.
Its establishment was one of the most important achievements of the medical community in the 16th century, as it placed anatomy on the basis of medical research.
Padua's Anatomy Theatre has an audience of about 250 people in six concentric galleries.
The first line was reserved for professors of anatomy, rectors of cities and universities, members and members of the Medical Council, and representatives of the Venetian nobility.
The second and third rows are reserved for students.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth lines are for use by other audiences.
Most of these dissected bodies were executed criminals or deceased hospital patients.
A complete autopsy of a corpse often takes two weeks to complete.
To entertain visitors during the breaks between sessions, musicians are invited and incense candles are lit to suppress the stench.
The Anatomy Theatre of Padua was in use until 1872.
It is now regarded as an honor by the University of Padua and has been preserved ever since.
Leiden's Anatomy Theatre
Just three years after the construction of the Anatomy Theatre in Padua, a second Anatomy Theatre was built in Leiden, Netherlands, in 1597 on the initiative of Peter Bow, professor of anatomy at the University of Leiden.
Like the Padua Theatre, the Leiden Theatre has six galleries, but is wider, flatter and more spacious than the Padua Theatre.
In winter, students, surgeons, and the curious public need to pay for a public anatomical performance.
In the summer, the theater is used to display a variety of peculiarities, including human and animal skeletons, ancient Egyptian mummies and Roman antiquities, and many other unusual objects from around the world.
Thanks to these exhibitions, the theater became an important tourist attraction.
Anatomy Theatre of Bologna
Of course, the best anatomical theater is the Bologna Anatomy Theater in Italy.
Its construction took 12 years and was completed in 1637 and is located in the Palace of Argenacio, the first unified seat of the University of Bologna.
Its walls are intricately carved with fir wood, high cedar wood carved ceilings and imposing professor chairs.
It was covered by a top cover, on which sat the seat of a woman representing anatomy, next to which stood a small cupid with a femur in her hand.
For three hundred years, the theater has been the object of visitors' visits.
During World War II, it was completely destroyed.
After the war, the theater was rebuilt with rigorous linguistic principles, using all the original works recovered from the ruins.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the Anatomy Theater was becoming obsolete.
Because by using anesthetics, surgery no longer needs to be performed in the fastest possible time, and the surgeon realizes that a slower, more delicate incision can produce more successful results.
In addition, the theory of bacterial pathogenesis has received attention – the idea that the audience and the doctor himself may bring bacteria into the surgical space has led to tighter control of the surgical space,
Eventually, the old operating room was transformed into the sterile environment in which the modern operating room was located.