On 8th April 2025, the Radcliffe Science Library (RSL) and Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics together hosted a new event, “Anatomy Jargon Dissected”, which explored the linguistic and historical roots of anatomy.
The event featured three fascinating talks by experts in linguistics and anatomy:
Professor David Langslow took us on a linguistic journey of Greek and Latin words, suffixes and early misconceptions about the human body that influenced and evolved into the technical medical terminology used today.
Departmental Lecturer in Anatomy, Ms. Sharmila Rajendran, used a riddle-style game to demonstrate how anatomical terms were derived from the resemblance of familiar tools and objects that people use or see every day, and how early anatomists were influenced by them.
Professor Emeritus John Morris took us on a historical journey through errors and discoveries, from the earliest understanding of anatomy in Egypt to the 20th century, highlighting the discovery of the pituitary gland and its function – a “stuttering progress in understanding human anatomy” as he calls it.
In the afternoon a fabulous exhibition of medical treasures, curated by Sarah Wheale and Alan Coates, was held at the Weston Library. Participants enjoyed viewing foremost titles mentioned during the morning talks, such as:
- Thomas Willis’ Cerebri Anatome (1664)
- Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty’s Suite de l’Essai d’Anatomie en Tableaux Imprimés (1745)
- William Cheselden’s Osteographia or the Anatomy of the Bones (1733)
And other iconic books of medical anatomy, such as:
- Henry Gray’s Anatomy (1858 first edition)
- Andreas Vesalius’ De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543)
- Johann Remmelin’s Catoptrum Microcosmicum (1639) containing drawings with lift-up flaps revealing successive layers of anatomy, which sparked amazement among the participants.
If you missed the event or wanted to attend but couldn’t, there’s good news. Due to its success, the event will be repeated. Stay tuned for next year’s announcement!
Feedback from Attendees
- “Interactive and speakers very engaging. Opportunity to interact with people across the University and from very different fields”
- “I like the exhibition of the anatomy books from hundreds of years ago and the explanation of this exhibition”
- “I quite liked how accessible the event was for non-medics…it was lovely to learn the anatomy-adjacent stuff”
- “The talks and activities morning session, really enjoy all the quiz questions.”
- “The content of the different talks was really interesting and I learnt lots of new information.”
- I enjoyed everything – the morning talks, the interesting and engaging word activity, the stories, and the show-and-tell opportunity to see the rare books and the stories behind them.