The Morbid Anatomy: Matthew Baillie, M.D. F.R.S

An Analysis of The Morbid Anatomy of Some of the Most Important Parts of the Human Body

Abstract

At an early age, Matthew Baillie inherited an impressive collection of anatomical specimens within the famous Windmill Street School of Anatomy and the Hunterian Museum from his uncles, William and John Hunter. Baillie had access to thousands of specimens and bodies on which he could base his observations, allowing him to draw connections between morbid appearances and how they manifest. Through access to vast resources and opportunities, Baillie had a more comprehensive view of the body, allowing him to see the bigger picture in which he compiled and created his most prominent work, The Morbid Anatomy of Some of the Most Important Parts of the Human Body. However, Baillie's tenacity and desire to promote pathology as an independent subject by developing a resource that supports a novel way of presenting and learning medicine and understanding disease without patient history make him and Morbid Anatomy stand out among his predecessors. That said, this introduces the concept that disease does not exist without the patient highlighting a flaw of Baillie's approach since Morbid Anatomy focuses on the study of pathology without the person. This paper comments on the unique perspective of Dr. Matthew Baillie, his contributions to the field of pathology, and its applications in modern medicine.