
The Centenarian: Anatomical Manuscript B
And this old man, a few hours before his death, told me that he was over a hundred years old, and that he felt nothing wrong with his body other than weakness. And thus, while sitting on a bed in the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence, without any movement or sign of any mishap, he passed from this life.
And I dissected him to see the cause of so sweet a death. This I found to be a fainting away through lack of blood to the artery which nourishes the heart and the other parts below, which I found very dry, thin and withered. I performed this dissection with great ease because of the absence of fat and humours which greatly hinder the recognition of the parts. The other dissection was of a child of two years, in which I found everything contrary to that of the old man.
The artery and vein which extend between the spleen and liver generate in the elderly so thick a coat that it closes the passage of blood. And these veins, as well as thickening the coat, grow in length and become twisted like a snake. And the liver is desiccated and becomes like congealed bran both in colour and substance, so that when but a little friction is made on it, it falls away in minute particles like sawdust, leaving behind the veins and arteries.Leonardo, Anatomical Manuscript B
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The veins of the arm. Verso: Notes on the death of a centenarian
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The lumbar plexus. Verso: The veins of the pelvic and lumbar region
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The vessels of the pelvic region. Verso: The mechanics of the arm in man and monkey
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The vessels and nerves of the neck. Verso: The vessels of the liver
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The male torso, with notes. Verso: The muscles of the torso
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The muscles of the back and arm. Verso: Studies of the intercostal muscles
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The muscles of the leg. Verso: Notes on the structure of the treatise on anatomy
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The mesentery of the bowel and its blood supply, with notes. Verso: The brachial plexus
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: Notes on the respiratory system, with a marginal sketch. Verso: The nervous system
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The arteries of the shoulder. Verso: The distribution of the right vagus and right phrenic nerves
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
The cranial nerves
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The uterus of a gravid cow. Verso: The anatomy of the mouth
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: Notes on the muscles of the mouth. Verso: The foetal blood supply of the cow
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The bladder. Verso: The lungs
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The stomach and related structures. Verso: The abdomen
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The heart compared to a seed. Verso: The vessels of liver, spleen and kidneys
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The gastrointestinal tract, and the bladder. Verso: The gastrointestinal tract
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
The cardiovascular system and principal organs of a woman
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The brachial plexus. Verso: The brachial plexus and nerves of the arm
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The brachial plexus, and the umbilical vessels. Verso: The brachial plexus
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)
Recto: The muscles and nerves of the leg. Verso: The muscles of the leg
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452-Amboise 1519)