People in the fictitious town of Gray, Indiana, start to develop a strange disease after the first doctor comes to town.

People in the fictitious town of Gray, Indiana, start to develop a strange disease after the first doctor comes to town.

The classic medical text known as Gray’s Anatomy is one of the most famous books ever written. Now, on the 150th anniversary of its publication, acclaimed science writer and master of narrative nonfiction Bill Hayes has written the fascinating, never-before-told true story of how this seminal volume came to be. A blend of history, science, culture, and Hayes’s own personal experiences, The Anatomist is this author’s most accomplished and affecting work to date. With passion and wit, Hayes explores the significance of Gray’s Anatomy and explains why it came to symbolize a turning point in medical history. But he does much, much more. Uncovering a treasure trove of forgotten letters and diaries, he illuminates the astonishing relationship between the fiercely gifted young anatomist Henry Gray and his younger collaborator H. V. Carter, whose exquisite anatomical illustrations are masterpieces of art and close observation. Tracing the triumphs and tragedies of these two extraordinary men, Hayes brings an equally extraordinary era–the mid-1800s–unforgettably to life. But the journey Hayes takes us on is not only outward but inward–through the blood and tissue and organs of the human body– for The Anatomist chronicles Hayes’s year as a student of classical gross anatomy, performing with his own hands the dissections and examinations detailed by Henry Gray 150 years ago. As Hayes’s acquaintance with death deepens, he finds his understanding and appreciation of life deepening in unexpected and profoundly moving ways. The Anatomist is more than just the story of a book. It is the story of the human body, a story whose beginning and end we all know and share but that, like all great stories, is infinitely rich in between.

Gray's Anatomy is probably one of the most iconic scientific books ever published: an illustrated textbook of anatomy that is still a household name 150 years since its first edition, known for its rigorously scientific text, and masterful illustrations as beautiful as they are detailed. The Making of Mr Gray's Anatomy tells the story of the creation of this remarkable book, and the individuals who made it happen: Henry Gray, the bright and ambitious physiologist, poised for medical fame and fortune, who was the book's author; Carter, the brilliant young illustrator, lacking Gray's social advantages, shy and inclined to religious introspection; and the publishers - Parkers, father and son, the father eager to employ new technology, the son part of a lively circle of intellectuals. It is the story of changing attitudes in the mid-19th century; of the social impact of science, the changing status of medicine; of poverty and class; of craftsmanship and technology. And it all unfolds in the atmospheric milieu of Victorian London - taking the reader from the smart townhouses of Belgravia, to the dissection room of St George's Hospital, and to the workhouses and mortuaries where we meet the friendless poor who would ultimately be immortalised in Carter's engravings. Alongside the story of the making of the book itself, Ruth Richardson reflects on what made Gray's Anatomy such a unique intellectual, artistic, and cultural achievement - how it represented a summation of a long half century's blossoming of anatomical knowledge and exploration, and how it appeared just at the right time to become the 'Doctor's Bible' for generations of medics to follow.

THIS VALUABLE ANATOMY BOOK, Written in the 1850s by a young doctor, Henry Gray. Gray's Anatomy was the most comprehensive and accessible anatomy of its time. This beautifully produced slipcased volume contains the historic text of the second edition and all of Henry Vandyke Carter's masterly drawings. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the history of medicine or in the amazingly complex machine that is the human body. HENRY GRAY [1827 - 1861] was an English anatomist and surgeon most notable for publishing the book Gray's Anatomy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) at the age of 25. While still a student, Gray secured the triennial prize of Royal College of Surgeons in 1848 for an essay entitled The Origin, Connexions and Distribution of nerves to the human eye and its appendages, illustrated by comparative dissections of the eye in other vertebrate animals. In 1852, at the early age of 25, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in the following year he obtained the Astley Cooper prize of three hundred guineas for a dissertation "On the structure and Use of Spleen."

Written and edited by expert surgeons in collaboration with a world-renowned anatomist, this exquisitely illustrated reference consolidates surgical, anatomical and technical knowledge for the entire human body in a single volume. Part of the highly respected Gray's 'family,' this new resource brings to life the applied anatomical knowledge that is critically important in the operating room, with a high level of detail to ensure safe and effective surgical practice. Gray's Surgical Anatomy is unique in the field: effectively a textbook of regional anatomy, a dissection manual, and an atlas of operative procedures – making it an invaluable resource for surgeons and surgical trainees at all levels of experience, as well as students, radiologists, and anatomists. - Brings you expert content written by surgeons for surgeons, with all anatomical detail quality assured by Lead Co-Editor and Gray's Anatomy Editor-in-Chief, Professor Susan Standring. - Features superb colour photographs from the operating room, accompanied by detailed explanatory artwork and figures from the latest imaging modalities - plus summary tables, self-assessment questions, and case-based scenarios – making it an ideal reference and learning package for surgeons at all levels. - Reflects contemporary practice with chapters logically organized by anatomical region, designed for relevance to surgeons across a wide range of subspecialties, practice types, and clinical settings – and aligned to the requirements of current trainee curricula. - Maximizes day-to-day practical application with references to core surgical procedures throughout, as well as the 'Tips and Anatomical Hazards' from leading international surgeons. - Demonstrates key anatomical features and relationships that are essential for safe surgical practice - using brand-new illustrations, supplemented by carefully selected contemporary artwork from the most recent edition of Gray's Anatomy and other leading publications. - Integrates essential anatomy for robotic and minimal access approaches, including laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques. - Features dedicated chapters describing anatomy of lumbar puncture, epidural anaesthesia, peripheral nerve blocks, echocardiographic anatomy of the heart, and endoscopic anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract – as well as a unique overview of human factors and minimizing error in the operating room, essential non-technical skills for improving patient outcomes and safety.