
Neurology and the Voice
Leonardo returned to the study of the brain after a gap of almost twenty years, but now he could work with human material.
His earlier drawings, displayed in the previous gallery, embodied the traditional belief that the brain contains three bulbous ventricles arranged in a straight line. A rudimentary dissection would have shown him that the brain does indeed contain cavities, but not of this form.
In a brilliant experiment, Leonardo injected molten wax into the ventricles to determine their true shape. Further dissections of the brain demonstrated that the nerves had no direct connection to the ventricles. He thus abandoned the ancient belief that the ventricles housed the mental faculties.
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
The brain
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: Sketches of the intestines, scapels and hooks for dissection, and notes. Verso: Miscellaneous notes and anatomical sketches
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The nerve pathways to the brain. Verso: Notes on weight and statics, with diagrams
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)