‘Father of Anatomy’ or ‘Butcher of Alexandria’? An Ethical Revision of Herophilus of Chalcedon and Vivisection Practices in Third Century Alexandria

This research essay attempts to apply modern ethical principles and standards to the vivisection and dissection practices performed in Alexanria in the third century. Its ultimate aim is to answer the following question: should scientific data or research that was done under unethical circumstances be published or mentioned in an academic setting? Although the paper begins with a discussion of Nazi doctors and their experiments in concentration camps, its central focus is the third-century physician, Herophilus of Chalcedon, known as the "Father of Anatomy". In the end of the paper, I ultimately argue that any discussion revolving around the achievements of Herophilus, must also include a conversation about the atrocities he committed. At the end of the day, he was able to further the progress of medicine, but did so by opening the bodies of prisoners and extracting their internal organs for examination while these prisoners were still alive. In short, the paper is an ethical revision of the so-called "Father of Anatomy", in which i explore whether we can ignore the ethical ramifications when inhumane experiments are extremely successful