Herophilus the Anatomist (Ἡρόφιλος ὁ Χαλκηδόνιος)

Life Herophilus was a Greek physician and anatomist born in Chalcedon. He worked in Alexandria during the early 3rd century BCE under the patronage of the Ptolemies, where the unique permission for human dissection enabled his pioneering work [1][2][3]. A student of Praxagoras of Cos, he established his own influential medical school and conducted systematic anatomical investigations, including dissections and possibly vivisections, which allowed for unprecedented direct observation [1][2][3].

Works His major, now lost, works include On Anatomy (Περὶ ἀνατομῆς), detailing his discoveries, and specialized treatises such as On the Eyes (Περὶ ὀφθαλμῶν), Midwifery, and On Pulses (Περὶ σφυγμῶν), in which he developed pulse theory [1][2]. Other lost texts are Against Common Opinions (Πρὸς τὰς κοινὰς δόξας) and A Handbook for Midwives [1][3].

Significance Herophilus is a foundational figure in the history of medicine. His empirical approach led to major discoveries, including identifying the brain as the nervous system's center, describing organs like the liver and pancreas, and naming the duodenum [1][2][3]. His work on the pulse and his anatomical findings formed the core of the Alexandrian medical school and profoundly influenced later thinkers like Galen [1][2].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Herophilus): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/herophilus/ 2. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Herophilus of Chalcedon): https://iep.utm.edu/herophilus-of-chalcedon/ 3. World History Encyclopedia (Herophilus of Chalcedon): https://www.worldhistory.org/Herophilus_of_Chalcedon/