An Anatomical Larynx From The 19th Century

Karl Ernst Bock, German physician and anatomist, 1809–1874. Graduating in medicine in 1831, he specialized in anatomy, physiology, and pathology at the University of Leipzig, where he became a full professor in 1845. His books were very successful in European scientific circles; they included anatomical atlases, a pocket atlas, and books on pathological anatomy, diagnosis, and therapy. Deeply committed to the dissemination of science and the popularization of knowledge, he published numerous articles and manuals promoting physical exercise and health. Franz Josef Steger, German sculptor, 1845–1938. He worked in collaboration with Dr. Bock and the University of Leipzig, using Bock's drawings, molds from life, or sculptures. He produced a large number of human anatomical models in plaster or ceramic, which were distributed through catalogs to universities in Germany, Europe, and beyond. The prolific output resulting from the collaboration between Professor Bock, the sculptor Steger, and the University of Leipzig began in 1860 and continued after Bock's death. Primarily intended for medical students, it offered a novel and high-quality approach to the study and understanding of anatomy; the finesse and attention to detail allowed for observations faithful to a reality not directly accessible. Moreover, it must have been more pleasant to observe an identical model than a real anatomical dissection… at the time… Summer… Larynx circa 1890, with the trachea and thyroid gland. An intact, museum-quality model, ready to be displayed or hung…