situation and in February , 1858 sailed to Bombay for the Indian Medical Service before the book came out and essentially never looked back .
Publication of their collaborative work Anatomy , Descriptive and Surgical in October 1858 was an instant success because of its well-organized format , comprehensible narratives and 363 superbly illustrated diagrams in a 750-page book . The majority of Carter ’ s drawings were entirely original from their own dissections , and some were modified or borrowed with acknowledgements . Drawings were black and white except arteries and veins that were depicted in red and blue color respectively . Gray was paid 150 pounds for every 1,000 copies sold . Carter however got the short end of the stick yet again and was never paid a penny from all the royalties . Gray was able to oversee the publication of the second edition of the book but regrettably , he contracted confluent smallpox and passed away at the age of 34 while taking care of his nephew . All his belongings including papers about the book at his home were burned , according to existing protocol . Dr . Henry Gray ’ s name has always been associated with this popular book but Dr . Henry Vandyke Carter ’ s name disappeared from the front page completely after the 3 rd edition . In the September 6 , 1958 issue of the British Medical Journal , celebrating centennial of the iconic book , FNL Poynter wrote about Gray : “ He was once the author of a book but he might more truly be regarded as the founder of an institution .” A succession of distinguished editors and skilled draughtsman as well as incorporation of the electronic media have changed the book drastically since its inception . The latest 42 nd edition , titled Gray ’ s Anatomy- The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice edited by Susan Standring , with multiple contributors including clinicians , biomedical scientists and radiologists , was published in November 2020 with 1,606 pages , weighed 10.54 pounds and claimed “ lavish art and clear text .” There was a parallel trajectory of two “ flavors ” of Gray ’ s Anatomy , American and British ; the first of the 25 distinct American editions was published in 1862 and the last one in 1984 . There were discrepancies in numbering the American and British editions which engendered some confusion . The iconic tome is only known as Gray ’ s Anatomy and is famous even as a cultural icon ; it is in fact a household name while it should always have been called Gray & Carter ’ s Anatomy .
Coinciding with the 150 th anniversary of the first publication of Gray ’ s Anatomy , two books emerged that delved into the circumstances of its publication and the extraordinary lives of Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter , two 19 th century anatomists who were indeed opposite characters but collaborators in this remarkable book with seemingly eternal life . First book , The Anatomist- A True Story of Gray ’ s Anatomy authored by Bill Hayes , came out on December 26 , 2007 and the second book , The Making of Mr . Gray ’ s Anatomy- Bodies , Books , Fortune , Fame by Ruth Richardson was published on October 23 , 2008 . Both books together are a fascinating blend of the history of Victorian London , science and culture .
BOOK REVIEW
History of Blood . The Anatomist is not only an account of the genesis of Gray ’ s Anatomy but also incorporates the author ’ s personal experience initially as an observer and subsequently as a participant in dissection at the UCSF . It is also a blend of investigative journalism exploring the lives of Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter . He visited London and combed through medical schools ’ records and delved into a sizable treasure trove of letters and diaries of Carter which have been housed in The Wellcome Library , London . There was not much information about Gray since his belongings including correspondence , a copy of a reported unfinished new book and other material at his home were all burned after his demise due to smallpox . It is an interesting book that is simultaneously an autobiography , a heartbreaking personal elegy and a biography of the two anatomists and their contrasting personalities .
Ruth Richardson is an eminent British historian and a writer affiliated with the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge whose history of dissection in England , Death , Dissection and the Destitute , ( Chicago University Press , 2000 ) is an acknowledged work in the field . Richardson wrote the book in commemoration of the 150 th anniversary of Gray ’ s Anatomy and in her book The Making of Gray ’ s Anatomy she chronicles the fascinating story of Gray ’ s Anatomy - “ The Doctor ’ s Bible ” - as one of the world ’ s best-known and most enduring anatomy textbooks . She takes the reader into a vivid rendezvous in the Dickensian London during the mid-Victorian era . She weaves a remarkably cogent tale of dissection , authorship , illustrations , printing , publishing and sales in mid-19 th century London . Joint collaborative work over a period of 18 months by Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter yielded the easily understood and concise narrations by Gray and exquisite illustrations directly on wood ( also called “ wood-pecking ”) by Carter producing a first-rate book that was superbly printed in 1858 . There was a specter of plagiarism , particularly of some passages from another earlier text , Quain ’ s Anatomy . The second and last edition that Gray himself was responsible for was published in 1860 and included his acknowledgement to about 20 colleagues ( including Quain ) without apology or explanation . He did not pay part of the royalties to Carter either as originally promised . “ Taken together ," Richardson writes , “ These evidences indicate traits of character which exhibit Gray ’ s inclination toward garnering credit- intellectual and financial- to himself at other ’ s cost , and records the vanity of an immature , insecure man .”
Both books , which came out on the occasion of the 150 th anniversary of publication of Gray ’ s Anatomy , are thoroughly researched , expertly written and riveting to read .
Dr . Seyal practices cardiovascular Medicine at the Seyal Cardiology LLC in Clarksville , Indiana .
Bill Hayes is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in nonfiction and has authored several books including Sleep Demons : An Insomniac ’ s Memoir and Five Quarts : A Personal and Natural
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