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.
Galen of Pergamon 129 c. – 216 CE, scholar of human anatomy and medical illustrator of animals.
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.
Pseudo-Galenus, Anatomia, England, midddle15th century, Wellcome Library, London.
Benjamin L. Askue, Jr. during the American Civil War, circa 1860s
Frontline accounts of military conflicts provide a glimpse into the world of the war. The historical record reflects numerous descriptions of soldier’s and military doctor’s accounts of the bloodiest war ever engaged on American soil – the Civil War. The Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions announces the launch of the narratives of the 23rd Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry doctor, the Benjamin L. Askue, Jr. Civil War LettersBenjamin L. Askue, Jr. Civil War Letters on JSTOR.
Askue was born in November 1833 to Benjamin and Rowena Cordelia Askue in Ashtabula, Ohio. In 1853, he married his cousin Flavia Pritchard. The letters he wrote to Flavia during the American Civil War demonstrate that they had a happy marriage. The couple had five children together.
During the 19th century and early 20th century, physicians often received their training through apprenticeships. Askue followed this path becoming a homeopathic doctor. In 1861 he joined the 23rd Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry, Company B in the Union Army. Askue served as a cook, nurse, hospital steward, and in the 23rd Regiment’s infantry. He left the Union Army In July 1865. Askue returned to Ashtabula to farm and practice homeopathic medicine. He died in 1906.
Askue’s archives and artifacts were donated to the Winkler Center. While his archives hold numerous documents and artifacts, the highlight of the collection consists of letters written to Flavia beginning in June 1861 and concluding in July 1865. He described the 23rd Regiment’s travels, battles, camp life, politics, family in Ashtabula, Ohio and Askue engaged in philosophical analysis of the era.
Medical illustrations and drawings are a reflection of the state of medical practice at a specific moment in time providing a visual record of science, technology, and anatomical knowledge.
The artwork of Daniel S. Young highlights the artistic and medical contributions of an American Civil War era medical illustrator in a military context. Daniel S. Young: American Civil War Medical Illustrations on JSTOR. His artistry paints a portrayal of how medical illustration informed medical professionals during the 19th century. Young’s Civil War medical illustrations were crucial in educating doctors on surgical procedures and about previously unseen wounds. While medical illustrations such as Dr. Daniel Young’s served to educate doctors they were also important in aiding veterans in their pension claims and showing how the war impacted the soldiers’ health.
Cuts along the upper arm and elbow. Stone’s River, Tennessee.Continue reading →
