
Galen and the Anatomists
The Complete History of Science
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Herophilus' Dissections on the Nervous System
Herophilus was much admired by Galen, and it's through him that he learned about the workings of the nervous system. Herophilus also still practiced dissections on animals, and used this as a basis for conclusions about human anatomy. He recognized from his dissections that arteries have a much greater thickness than veins,. There's an exception to this in the lungs, where the opposite is true. This correction serves as an illustration of how the path of scientific discovery really runs smoothly - just because someone has a good idea doesn't mean it'll be immediately accepted.
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