The skeleton shown here is the third one prepared by Vesalius and dates from 1543. It was presented to the town of Basel as a result of an honorary association with the university he was presented by its rector. Vesalius was permitted to make dissections and provided Basel with its first public anatomy. The body of an executed criminal, Jacob Karrar, provided the skeletal material.

Based on an article by J.B. deC.M. Saunders and Charles Donald O'Malley. The Preparation of the Human Skeleton by Andreas Vesalius of Brussels. An annotated translation of the 39th chapter of the De humani corporis fabrica, 1543. Bull. History. Med.

Note: The skeleton is located today in the splendid, "world-class" anatomical museum in the Institute of Anatomy in Basel, Switzerland.

Human skeleton drawn by the ophthalmologist Toshuku Negoro from direct observations made in 1732 for an article written in 1741. He wrote on bones and articulations with pictures such as this one. Negoro stressed the great importance of direct self-observation rather than indirect study. From: The Beginnings of Anatomy in Japan, T. Ogawa. (1975) Okajimas Folia Anatomica Japonica 52(2-3):59-72.

Human dissection was limited and rules regarding dissection were prohibitive so two Japanese orthopedists, Ryoetsu Hoshino of Hiroshima and Bunken Kagarni of Osaka carved detailed wooden skeletons of exceptional quality before 1810. One of these wooden skeleton is now in the possession of the Department of Anatomy at Tokyo. From: The Beginnings of Anatomy in Japan, T. Ogawa. (1975) Okajimas Folia Anatomica Japonica 52(2-3):59-72.