Burton Julian L
Academic Unit of Pathology E-Floor, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, S10 2RX, Sheffield, UK,
Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2005 Dec;1(4):277-84. doi: 10.1385/FSMP:1:4:277.
The autopsy has had a checkered history, much of which has been surrounded by controversy. The roots of human dissection are found in the ancient world where rumors flourished that the prosectors of the day were engaged in vivisection as well as dissection. Bound up with the prevailing religious and political systems of the day, the autopsy has alternately been prohibited and encouraged, used to explore the nature of disease, and conceal questionable political policy. This review explores the history of the autopsy from its ancient roots in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Alexandria, and the Far East through the dark ages to medieval times and beyond into the renaissance. The development of the autopsy in Europe during the 17th to 19th centuries is discussed before briefly considering the decline of this diagnostic tool in the 20th century.
尸检的历史可谓波折不断，其中大部分都充满了争议。人体解剖的根源可以追溯到古代，当时流传着诸多谣言，称那个时代的解剖者不仅进行解剖，还从事活体解剖。尸检与当时盛行的宗教和政治制度紧密相连，时而被禁止，时而受到鼓励，被用于探究疾病的本质，也被用于掩盖有问题的政治政策。这篇综述探讨了尸检的历史，从其在埃及、美索不达米亚、亚历山大港和远东地区的古代起源，历经黑暗时代到中世纪，再到文艺复兴时期。文中讨论了17至19世纪欧洲尸检的发展情况，之后简要回顾了这一诊断工具在20世纪的衰落。
