This unique study examines a critical juncture in the history of the Renaissance brought about by a freak accident. Combining both a history of sixteenth-century medicine and European politics, the author describes the far-reaching effects of the death of King Henry II of France (1519-1559). Grievously wounded by an accidental blow to the head suffered during a mock jousting competition, the king lingered for weeks before expiring. Even the ministrations of Europe’s two most renowned physicians—Andreas Vesalius and Ambroise Paré—could not prevent his demise. As the author shows, the death of Henry II created a power vacuum, and the subsequent chain of events had significant effects on the balance of power in Europe. A noted surgeon, the author also provides many insights into the state of medicine in this era—a time when the practice of surgery and knowledge of human anatomy were being transformed. Readers learn how Vesalius’s ingenious studies of anatomy advanced the understanding of human body functions. And Paré’s experience with battlefield wounds led to more humane and effective treatments of the injured. This colorful, lively narrative combines engrossing details about politics, history, and medicine during an important period at the end of the Renaissance.

The eighteenth-century practitioners of anatomy saw their own period as 'the perfection of anatomy'. This book looks at the investigation of anatomy in the 'long' eighteenth century in disciplinary terms. This means looking in a novel way not only at the practical aspects of anatomizing but also at questions of how one became an anatomist, where and how the discipline was practised, what the point was of its practice, what counted as sub-disciplines of anatomy, and the nature of arguments over anatomical facts and priority of discovery. In particular pathology, generation and birth, and comparative anatomy are shown to have been linked together as sub-disciplines of anatomy. At first sight anatomy seems the most long-lived and stable of medical disciplines, from Galen and Vesalius to the present. But Cunningham argues that anatomy was, like so many other areas of knowledge, changed irrevocably around the end of the eighteenth century, with the creation of new disciplines, new forms of knowledge and new ways of investigation. The 'long' eighteenth century, therefore, was not only the highpoint of anatomy but also the endpoint of old anatomy.

The multi-authored, multi-institutional, and multi-specialty-based text is designed as a valuable resource for surgeons working on the maxillofacial region. Meant to be a clinically based history of the past, the present, and the future of the field, this is a one-of-a-kind text that will cater to a variety of professions: from oral & maxillofacial surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, otolaryngologists – head and neck surgeons, cosmetic surgeons and the general dental practitioner. The History of Maxillofacial Surgery: An Evidence-Based Journey is divided into three sections for ease of understanding: The first section gives an overview of the early history; the second section provides a discussion of conventional procedures; and the third section gives a history of advanced procedures and techniques. By understanding the fundamental procedures and techniques of the field, practitioners can continue to further the field by building upon the past. Including historic case studies paired with real patient photos, this text details why professionals do what they do today with insight directly from the clinic. To provide a unique perspective the book is edited by three individuals at different stages of their careers. Each chapter is authored by a young surgeon paired with a seasoned surgeon.

Through a detailed and fascinating exploration of changing medical knowledge and practice, this book provides a timeline of humankind's understanding of physiological death. Anchored in Early Modern Britain, it explains how evolving medical theories challenged the ambiguous definition of death, instigating anxieties over the newly realized potential for officials to mistake a person's time of death. Fears of premature burials were materialized as newspapers across Europe printed hundreds of articles about people who had been misdiagnosed as dead and were then buried--or nearly buried--alive. These stories, tallied in this text, present the first contemporary statistic of how frequently misdiagnosed death led to premature burial during the eighteenth century. The public consciousness of premature burial manifested itself in many ways, including the necessity of having a wake before a funeral and the creation of safety coffins. This book also explores the folkloric phenomenon of the rising dead and the stories that inspired a number of authors including Coleridge, Byron and Stoker, who blended medical understanding with fiction to create vampire literature.