Plates of the arteries of the human body / after Frederic Tiedemann ; engraved by E. Mitchell, under the superintendency of Thomas Wharton Jones ; the explanatory references translated from the original Latin, with additional notes, by Dr. Knox.

  • Tiedemann, Friedrich, 1781-1861.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Plates of the arteries of the human body / after Frederic Tiedemann ; engraved by E. Mitchell, under the superintendency of Thomas Wharton Jones ; the explanatory references translated from the original Latin, with additional notes, by Dr. Knox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    In the explanations, I have always indicated the age and sex of the individual from whom the plate is taken, as the diameter of the arteries differ much ac- cording to the age and sex ; but their relations, curvatures, and direction are so constant, that it is of no moment whether the body has been male or female, young or old. To those who have often investigated the constitution of the human body, an opportunity of seeing and observing such circumstances as tend to illustrate either the regular or irregular conformation of the body will have frequently presented itself. It is indisputably acknowledged, that no part of our frame varies so frequently, or in so whimsical a manner, in their origin, course, and distribution, as the blood-vessels. This fact is well established by the united testimony of many anatomists. Indeed it is difficult to establish, in any case, what variety would best suit the economy of an animal, what least; neverthe- less all are highly worthy the attention of the careful examiner into our consti- tution. As certainly a knowledge of the natural origin and distribution of the vessels may be reckoned the thing chiefly necessary, and deservedly too, to the surgeon or physician, yet the recollection of their variations is by no means without its utility, but renders us the more capable of mastering those difficul- ties which so easily arise to interrupt our prognosis, and foil us in our opera- tions. Surgeons and physicians, from a knowledge of these varieties, may use- fully elicit many salutary advantages to men who are either wounded or in- flicted with disease. When I was yearly in the custom of dissecting a re- markable number of bodies, and of publicly and privately demonstrating their anatomy, and was engaged also in showing many young men how they should dissect, that they might obtain a knowledge of the structure and functions of the body, and become skilful anatomists, good surgeons, and able physicians, it could not happen but that I would meet with many points of use both to surgeons and physicians. I have carefully noted the varieties of the arter- ies from a great number of bodies which I examined for the purpose of perfect- ing this work ; and I have caused those, in particular, to be delineated which can either impede the functions of a part, or be of interest to the surgeon in the prosecution of his profession. The celebrated Roux, much skilled in engraving, has very accurately re- presented the true and proper structure, situation, figure, order, and connex- ion of each part, from dissections upon the body. In the muscles he has ex- pressed the linearity of their fibres ; the arteries he has represented by trans- verse lines ; the nerves and glistening tendons by dotted points placed horizon-