De microscopische anatomie in Bidloo’s Anatomia humani Corporis (1685)

Abstract

Microsopical anatomy in Bidloo's "Anatomia humani corporis" (1685) In historiography Goverd Bidloo's Anatomia humani corporis (Amsterdam, 1685) is especially famous in connection with a case of alleged plagiarism by William Cowper. This anatomical atlas is also renowned as the first in which the microscopical anatomy of some organs was included. Some of these illustrations, however, have been severely criticized by historians of science, who pointed out that the illustrations are based on Malpighi's descriptions of microscopical structures rather than on personal observation The purpose of this article is to investigate the truth of these criticisms. A survey of Bidloo's microscopical illustrations against the background of contemporary literature (Table I and II) revealed that Bidloo's microscopical anatomy is largely limited to organs on which recent anatomical studies were available. As this does not imply that Bidloo's illustrations are executed merely on the basis of descriptions I have analysed five illustrations and their correspondent legends in some detail, to wit stomach, kidney, lung, spleen and brain. On the basis of this analysis Bidloo's illustrations may be grouped into three categories: I slighty magnified, illustration conform legend; II slightly magnified, legend indicates details which are not discernable on the illustration; III. not based on microscopical evidence, the illustration either lacks any detail indicated in the legend or is constructed on the basis of a description (by Malpighi). The illustrations in the first two categories are clearly the result of Bidloo's own microscopical observations. As these two categories comprise 90% of all illustrations the conclusion must be that earlier criticisms were correct in a few instances, but should not extend to Bidloo's microscopical anatomy as a whole.