Lawrence Herbert Wells and the history of anatomical illustration.

The pre-Vesalian history of anatomical illustration, including its ancient Greek and Roman periods, is surveyed. While dissection was abandoned in Alexandria under the Romans, it was revived in Italy during the Renaissance, and the invention of printing prompted the avalanche of documents which has cascaded ever since. The considerable contribution of the late Professor Lawrence H. Wells to the history of anatomical illustration is emphasized and his interest in 'fugitive sheets', popular in the 15th and 16th centuries, is indicated.