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Original fileAnatomical Study of the Mediastinum (Tabula IV)
menschliches Mediastinum
About This Work
A copperplate engraving shows the upper torso of a man with curly hair and a beard, rendered in a three-quarter view. The chest cavity is splayed open, with the skin and rib flaps pulled upward and held in place by a quill-like instrument. Visible internal structures, including the lungs and arterial pathways, are labeled with alphabetical letters for anatomical identification. The style is characteristic of early modern medical treatises, combining scientific observation with the somber, detached quality of the anatomical tradition.
This print is an anatomical illustration from a 17th-century medical text, reflecting the era's focus on empirical observation and the systematic dissection of the human body as a means of understanding biological function. It represents the intersection of print culture and the rise of modern anatomical science in Europe.
Inscriptions(Latin)
126 Regionis Mediæ Liber III. TABVLA IV. MEDIASTINVM A STERNO ET costis liberatum indicans: LIB. II. TAB. IV. [Labels A through V] A.A.A.Sternum vbi A.est medium,& cartilaginum costarum connexarum sedes interna. B.C.Venæ mammariæ descendentes sub sterno ad rectos musculos. D.E.Arteriæ mammariæ descendentes. G.G.H.H.Mediastini dextra & sinistra positio,quæ ante diuisionem adnata erat sterno. I.K.Dextra & sinistra superficies pulmonem spectans. L.L.Interuallum inter vtranque mediastini membranam. M.M.Est regio protuberans partis cordis sinistræ situm ostendens. N.O.Videlicet pulmonis dexter lobus elatior.N.depressior.O. P.Q.Vbi P.est pulmonis sinistri lobus superior,eius vero inferior est Q. R.R.Indicat septum à sterno & cartilagine ensiformi liberum. S.Est cartilago ensiformis. T.V.Est cutis ab anteriori Thoracis parte deorsum tracta.
Translation
126 Book III of the Middle Region. Table IV. Indicating the mediastinum freed from the sternum and ribs: Book II. Table IV. [Key to anatomy:] A.A.A. Sternum where A is the middle, and the internal seat of the connected rib cartilages. B.C. Mammary veins descending under the sternum to the rectus muscles. D.E. Mammary arteries descending. G.G.H.H. Right and left position of the mediastinum, which before division was attached to the sternum. I.K. Right and left surface facing the lung. L.L. Space between the two membranes of the mediastinum. M.M. Is the protruding region of the left part of the heart showing its position. N.O. Namely the right lobe of the lung, higher N, lower O. P.Q. Where P is the superior lobe of the left lung, and its inferior lobe is Q. R.R. Indicates the septum free from the sternum and the ensiform cartilage. S. Is the ensiform cartilage. T.V. Is the skin pulled downward from the anterior part of the thorax.
Connected Texts
Giulio Casserio
This image originates from the medical plates associated with the tradition of early 17th-century anatomical study, frequently attributed to the circle of Casserio.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
engraving
laid paper
Baroque
German
anatomical
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
497 × 820 px
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