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Galen and the Anatomists

The Complete History of Science

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The History of the Museum of Alexandria

The Museum was created by the first ruler of Alexandria, Ptolemy I. It housed a wide variety of individuals from poets to mathematicians and geographers. The Museum also provided the environment where investigations into human corpses could take place for the first time. Herophilus made his discoveries around the 4th century BC at the Museum. He described the nervous system in detail, describing the connection between the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves. This discovery led him to refute Aristotle's claim that the heart was the seat of intelligence, rightly recognizing it's the brain.

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