The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy

The Anatomist is a delightfully told story about Henry Gray and Henry (HV) Carter, the author and the illustrator, of the landmark and still in use monumental tome, Gray's "Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical". I was first introduced to "Gray's Anatomy" while taking Human Anatomy in College on my way to degrees in the psychological sciences. That was many years ago. Years later, my interest in anatomy was again piqued while studying the life and works of Leonardo Da Vinci whom many consider the father of medical illustration. So it was that when I came upon a copy of "The Anatomist" I grabbed it, sight unseen as it were. It proved a good read, interesting, full of the history of the study of human anatomy, and as the title purports, Gray's Anatomy in particular. It is largely seen through the eyes of H.V. Carter the illustrator. The historical tract for Carter is extensive. That for Gray himself has been lost. Hayes takes one not only through the history of anatomy, but manages with some skill to take the reader right into the dissection room where the wonders of the unveiled human body are revealed. Tastefully done this short work is well work reading.

Very interesting book with a different perspective of being a biography with a personal story of the author. Lots of background on everybody concerned. Its not just Gray's Anatomy but the collaboration of Gray and Carter. Not too technical but informative.

Author Bill Hayes pursues parallel stories: * The back story on that medical reference icon, "Gray's Anatomy" * His own anatomical education in exploring dissection of the human body with classes of pharmacy, physical therapy and medical students He deftly shifts back and forth between the two narratives. He finds that he cannot do justice to Gray's Anatomy without chronicling the life not only of Henry Gray but also the book's illustrator, H.V. Carter. With the patience of a skilled investigator and historical sleuth, Hayes unearths a fascinating narrative of how Grays Anatomy came into being, a tale befitting the 150th anniversary of the book's publication. Hayes also touches on some interesting points regarding current medical student education, where hands-on dissection may be reduced if not supplants by CD-ROMS and computer-aided tutorials. Do fledgling doctors get the same benefit from that approach or is The Old Way the best? This is a good book but is somewhat marred by the distraction of Hayes' insistence that all the readers know he is gay. He inserts references to his "partner" Steve, how he got into body-building as a youth to attract the boys, etc. With a clicking sound in his jaw, Hayes suffers apparently not only from TMJ but TMI - Too Much Information! This undercurrent in the book adds little or nothing to the book's narrative thread. OK, we get it. You're gay. Move on! For the medical laity he insists on flaunting his gaiety. Despite this quibble, "The Anatomist" is a good book that will especially (though not exclusively) appeal to those interested in medicine, health and medical education.

The Anatomist is another winner from Bill Hayes. The book tells the story of Gray's Anatomy, the definitive anatomy text that was first published 150 years ago this year. Most likely your doctor has come into contact with the text somewhere in their training or career. Until The Anatomist, very little has been written about the two others of Gray's Anatomy. Yes, there are two authors. While the book is named after Henry Gray who wrote the text, there was another author/artist who drew the meticulous, detailed drawings of the human body. As a matter of fact, it could be argued that the book is most well known for the drawings by Henry Vandyke Carter who has mostly been uncredited since the early editions. The story of the book is fascinating. After copious research very little is known about Henry Gray. I won't give away why. But in his research on Gray, Hayes stumbled upon Carter's journals which are filled with details about his life during those times. The journals provide a fascinating glimpse into the troubled life of Carter who is tortured by the religious doctrines of the time and his burgeoning sexuality. Of course scandal ensues for Carter and I also want give that away. The book is also a fascinating examination of the practice of journaling. Hayes himself is journal keeper and finds many similarities in the practice of keeping a journal with Carter who lived 150 years earlier. If you keep a journal, you must read this book. Hayes also includes side by side with the story of Gray and Carter his own experiences in the gross anatomy lab learning about the human body through dissection. Hayes is a beautiful writer. His choice of words and his descriptions of the human body are eloquent and strangely beautiful even when he is describing something that most would want to turn their gaze from. His sentences flow with grace and he seamlessly mixes all of the different elements of the story with his own memoir. Like his other two books, Hayes has a unique gift of combining traditional memoir with science. I can't recommend this book more highly.

Bill Hayes has revealed the story of the Gray's Anatomy creation by two medical practitioners working in England during Queen Victoria's reign, the book was published before the American Civil War and has never gone out print it is used by all levels of medical and health professionals, its longevity a testament to the skill of the Author and Illustrator and the Editorial staff since their deaths. Bill in trying to understand what Henry Gray did put himself through Anatomical Dissection classes, getting a "feel " for the raw material which Gray and Carter transferred to paper. Bill goes further than my research on Gray by unravelling H. V. Carter's story, from early life in Scarborough to working in India for a lifetime and returing to England with Honours. The story has been explained using as much original material as extant and eloquently blended with hands on experience, the one point demonstrated about Gray is his tireless industry which almost totally masks the man behind, whereas for Carter's diaries allow a glimpse into the life of a 19th Century Surgeon. Keith E Nicol, London January 2008