Renaissance changes in anatomy and surgery
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate the impact of changes in surgical practice and anatomical knowledge during the Renaissance period.
Key learning points
- Paré developed and encouraged new methods to manage the problems of surgery.
- Vesalius carried out dissections to identify many mistakes in Galen's work.
- Vesalius encouraged others to learn through observation and dissection.
- Vesalius' challenge to Galen's ideas faced considerable opposition.
Keywords
Ointment - a smooth, thick substance that is used on painful or damaged skin
Ligature - a thread or wire used for tying something, especially a blood vessel
Cauterisation - the action of burning body tissue using heat to stop an injury from bleeding or getting infected
Anatomy - the scientific study of the body and how its parts are arranged
Dissection - the action of cutting something open, especially a dead body or plant, in order to study its structure
Common misconception
Corrections to Galen's work were accepted virtually immediately.
Many medical professionals were reluctant to challenge Galen's works and so new ideas, like those of Vesalius, were not accepted immediately.
Teacher tip
Have pupils to compare the impact of Paré and Vesalius and ask them whose work was more important. You may encourage them to consider criteria such as the practical impact and long-term effects of Paré and Vesalius' medical contributions.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Untrustworthy and unqualified people who claim to have effective medical cures are often described as ...
Q2.Match each aspect of Renaissance medicine with its correct example.
miasma
purging
isolation
Q3. houses were used to isolate some people suffering from plague.
Q4.Mercury was often used as a treatment for which disease?
Q5.What was a supernatural treatment for scrofula?
Q6.What type of treatment was bloodletting?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What procedure involves cutting something open, especially a dead body or plant, in order to study its structure?
Q2.Which surgeon corrected Galen's ideas that there were small holes in the heart and two bones which made up the jaw?
Q3.There were over illustrations in Vesalius' 'On the Fabric of the Human Body'.
Q4.Which ingredient in the ointment used by Ambroise Pare from 1537 onwards was most important for helping wounds to heal?
Q5.What problem of surgery did ligatures unintentionally make worse?
Q6.How did Jacob Sylvius react to Andreas Vesalius' anatomical discoveries?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Renaissance changes in anatomy and surgery, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Renaissance changes in anatomy and surgery, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Medicine in Britain, c1250–present unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.