In past cultures the comprehension of human anatomy through dissection was hindered by taboo societal norms. Such analysis of the body was illicit due to the conception that our physical-selves sheltered the soul which made dissection sacrilegious, therefore forbidden. This world-view endured in European-based societies through the 1800s.

Roman law is credited with this outlawed dissection dynamic. Galen of Pergamon (129 c. – 216 CE) molded the field of medical illustration for over a millennium. It was against Roman law to dissect human bodies, which led Galen to consign his study and anatomical illustrations to the animal kingdom. Among the animals he studied, Galen dissected apes, pigs, dogs, and oxen. With the lack of human subjects, Galen propagated inaccurate illustrations about our bodies.