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Gabriele Zerbi (1445 – 1505) was a Veronese professor at the Universities of Bologna and Padua. He was also referred to as Zerbus, Zerbo, Zerbis, Gerbo, Gerbi, and Gerbus. He survived the devastating bubonic plague outbreak of 1477-79 in Northern Italy. He published the first printed treatise on geriatrics, "Gerontocomia: On the Care of the Aged," which took the form of a practical guide. His other works included: Questiones Metaphysicae; De Cautelis Medicorum; Liber anatomiae corporis humani et singulorum membrorum illius; De anatomia infantiis et porci ex traditione Cophonis and Libellus de preservatione corporum a passione calculosa.

“His analyses and descriptions of the first systematic and sufficiently detailed examine of the human body since Mondinus far outstrip the latter in scientific accuracy.”

Early life
Gabriele Zerbi was born in Verona to Francesco and Paola. Not much is known about his mother, Paola, but in various community documents that mention his father, Francesco, it appears that he was involved in various duties of civic responsibility, including the financial affairs of Verona. He had two brothers named Benedetto and Giovanni as well as two sisters named Taddea and Angela, the former also being the name given to Zerbi's daughter. While it is unclear exactly where Zerbi obtained his university degree, he spent notable amount of his youth in Venice, leading to the belief that he studied at the University of Padua. It is also here that he began a teaching post in 1467 at the age of twenty-two.

Death
Zerbi's death came about after treating his last patient. He was summoned by Skander, chief minister of the king of the Turks. Zerbi had fled from the wrath of Pope Sixtus, and Skander was ill with a severe case of dysentery. The doctor brought along his young son to the Turks. After curing the prince, Zerbi received a large sum of gold, jewels, and other valuable items as payment. On his way home, however, the prince fell ill again and died due to not following Zerbi's instructions. His sons, thinking Zerbi has poisoned their father, caught up with Zerbi to punish him. They sawed Zerbi's son in half before him, then immediately sawed Zerbi in half as well.

Works
His first work, Questiones Metaphysicae, was a commentary on Aristotle's own Metaphysics. Gerontocomia discussed the coping and treating of elderly. It discussed topics such as diet, optimal living situations, beneficial medicines, and how to ensure the physical well being of the elderly. De Cautelis Medicorum was a text discussing the medical ethics that a practicing physician should follow. The text included what a physician's appearance should resemble, hygienic habits, and preferred spiritual beliefs. Liber Anathomie Corporis Humani De Generatione Embrionis was Zerbi's last published essay, it covered most of Zerbi's work on pregnant animals.

Impressum Bononiae per Johan de Nordlingen en Henric. De Harlem socios, anno salutis 1482, Kalen Decembr., sedente Sixto IV, Pont. Max. 'anno elus duodecimo'. Quarto piccolo (small)

Small Gothic print. Total folios 512, in 12 books.

Zerbi was a strong advocate for the "physicians code." This code includes six categories of rules all physicians should abide by.

1: Rules for the course of studies and the perfection of the physician, according to the congenital dispositions of the soul and body.

2: The obligations of the physician toward God.

3: Recommendations for acquired dispositions and general conduct.

4: The proper attitude toward the patient.

5: Rules for the attitude toward the patients family and other people involved with the cure.

6: Regulation of the physicians relationship with the general public (Gabriele Zerbis De cautelis medicorum and the Tradition of Medical Prudence).

Zerbi gained much of his knowledge of human anatomy by dissecting various animals since human cadavers were scarce. By doing this, he opened up the first discipline of comparative anatomy.

He also was one of the first physicians to separate the organs into systems and focused his attention on the kidneys. He discovered veins do not enter inside the kidneys, but only reach their periphery. Zerbi hypothesized the kidneys act as a filter to filter liquid before it enters the bladder but other physicians doubted this.