Andreas Vesalius: On the Fabric of the Human Body
If not for a 28-year-old Belgian named Andreas Vesalius in 1543, gross anatomy students everywhere today might be performing their surgical training on barbary apes instead of human cadavers. Vesalius¿ revolutionary work on anatomy, long restricted to only the erudite few who understood the humanist Latin in which it was written, is now available to the rest of us via Northwestern University¿s painstaking translation-in-progress of his text, On the Fabric of the Human Body and publication of the accompanying woodcut illustrations, which are here viewable from every angle, right down to tiny details, such as the fingernail. A complete glossary of the exhaustive terms of which Vesalius availed himself is included.
CancerQuest
Every site should be as clean and easy to navigate as CancerQuest, a comprehensive site created by Emory University scientists to teach the biology of cancer. Elegant Flash diagrams and straightforward language make this site accessible to all, yet the content is vast enough that even the well-versed will find much to plumb in CancerQuest¿s depths. Beginning with a tutorial on how healthy cells function, the site covers tumor biology, cancer diagnosis, different types of cancer, treatments and clinical trials, all in great detail. The content is also available in large print. Plus, there¿s a stellar compilation of links to hundreds of other resources should your curiosity or needs take you beyond the scope of CancerQuest.
The James Lind Library
This site celebrates the work of James Lind, whose 1753 "Treatise of the Scurvy" was the first book to take a systematic look at all the treatments available for the deadly disease, thereby demonstrating that lemons and oranges were the most effective means of treating it. Lind¿s Library is devoted to documenting the history of "fair tests" in medicine. Recognizing that medical testing is a difficult process, given to biases and inconsistencies, the site meticulously addresses just what "fair" means in medical research. The Library includes a comprehensive, sortable database of results from such fair tests as 1907¿s "Rice and Beri-Beri" experiments in Kuala Lumpur, more recent clinical trials for common cold treatments and a whole host of research beyond.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products
Finally, a one-stop destination for all your questions regarding the efficacy and safety of herbal remedies, brought to you with the trustworthy stamp of approval of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Working with oncology-trained pharmacists who are also botanicals experts, the Center has compiled an exhaustive database on every possible agent, from Shark Cartilage to Slippery Elm, that may be employed in Integrative Medicine. The site is updated daily, or as often as relevant news is released on the topic, so patients can stay up to date on clinical trials, FDA alerts and other developments in the field.
The Virtual Body
Welcome to gross anatomy¿without the mess. This corporate site reveals the inner workings of the human body to those of us who aren¿t in med school, or the operating room. Take a narrated tour of the skeleton, thumb through the brain book, behold the beating of an animated heart, inspect at close range the intricacies of the digestive tract. When you¿re done you¿ll have a new appreciation for the extraordinary machine that is your body.
Next: PHYSICS Back to Sci/Tech Web Awards 2003