Herophilus was born in 335 BC in the town of Chalcedon in Turkey. He spent the majority of his life in Alexandria, Egypt and is known as the ‘Father of Anatomy’. Herophilus performed public dissections on human cadavers.
His work led him to believe that the brain and not the heart, as was previously believed, was the centre of intellect and the senses. He explained the anatomy of the nervous system and the differences between sensory nerves and motor nerves. He also described various parts of the eye and identified the optic nerve as a crucial component in sight and vision.
Herophilus introduced many scientific terms to describe anatomical features such as the duodenum, which is part of the small intestine. He also made a careful record of the workings of the liver, salivary glands, and pancreas.
He believed that exercise and a balanced diet were an integral part of good health. He once said, “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless and reason is powerless”.
Herophilus wrote at least 9 works, including a commentary on Hippocrates, but all his writings were lost in the destruction of the great library of Alexandria in around 272 AD.
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