26 Journal of the association of physicians of india • vol 63 • march, 2015

The writings of Ibn-Nafis were essentially ignored until 1924, when Dr. Muhayi ad Din at- Tawatit an Egyptian physician, presented his doctoral thesis to the medical faculty of Freiburg, Germany. If the copy of Tawatit’s thesis had not come to the attention of the historian Max Meyerhof, Nafisi’s discovery might have been forgotten again. Some texts of

Nafis that were thought to be lost were rediscovered in 1950s Ibn-al- Nafis died in Cairo in 1288. About 300 years

after Ibn-Nafis, Miguel Servetus noted the same discovery apparently unaware of Ibn-Nafis’s earlier findings. The work of Nafis was translated into Latin in 1547: in 1553, Servetus was executed by burning in Geneva.

Leonardo was an illegitimate son of a young notary, Ser Piero, and a peasant

girl Caterina, born in Italy, just outside Florence. His father took custody of the little fellow shortly after his birth, and his childless stepmother looked after him. Leonardo Da Vinci is acknowldged as one of the greatest artist of all times, best known for his paintings, “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”. The latter has become a hot topic, after the publication of Dan Brown’s bestseller - Da Vinci Code.

Historians consider Da Vinci as the greatest experimental scientist of his age. He was an inventor, anatomist, civil and military engineer, astronomer, geologist and pioneer aeronaut. He was not merely versatile; he was outstanding in every field. His sketchbooks and drawings remained buried, for over 200 years.

The impromptu sketches are startlingly modern, in their accuracy and display of physiologic knowledge. He was his own best teacher. He made over 750 sketches, including cross-sectional ones, which show profound understanding of human anatomical structure. For the first time, the position of unborn baby in the mother, was shown with accuracy. Descriptions of heart, the chambers, valves

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)JV Pai-Dhungat*, Falguni Parikh**

Postal Stamps issued on Leonardo - Last supper, Self Portrait (Leonardo’s visit to Cyprus) Stamps - Cyprus, 1981 and Vitruvian man (Centenary of Western Medicine) Stamp - Japan, 1979

and the total structure, were extraordinarily accurate.

Dr. Frances Wells and colleagues, who pioneered sub-valvular preservation and early operation of mitral valve surgery (1996), were inspired by Da Vinci’s medical drawings. BBC announced it as “Da Vinci clue for a heart surgeon”.

He was left-handed and the marginal notes are recorded in mirror writing, suggesting the cautious, secretive, spirit of the time. Around 1490, he produced the Cannon of Proportions, in his sketchbook based on the Roman architect Vitruvius, the Vitruvian Man, being one of his most appreciated work.

His codices and original manuscripts are in various museums. “Codex Leicester” is the only major scientific work in private hands, being owned by Bill Gates, who bought it for $30 million at an auction. It is displayed once a year, in different cities around the world.

Leonardo had become a cult. Men with great wealth bid for him, yet he was a lonely man at heart. He probably never met another human being on his plane. He came to the world with a social handicap, but left it with a rich heritage during renaissance.

*Professor (Retd), **Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine, TN

Medical College & BYL Nair Ch. Hospital, Mumbai 400 008