Definition of Gray's Anatomy

Gray's Anatomy: A book entitled "Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical" by Henry Gray appeared in 1858. Little could Dr. Gray have suspected that his textbook of human anatomy would still be in print today and be perhaps the best known of all medical books.

The English anatomist Henry Gray was born in 1825 or 1827. He studied the development of the endocrine glands and spleen and in 1853 was appointed Lecturer on Anatomy at St. George's Hospital Medical School in London. He died young in 1861, just 3 years after the publication of his "Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical" which generations of medical students have renamed "Gray's Anatomy".

Gray's Anatomy is a scientific and artistic masterpiece. Gray let the natural beauty and grace of the body's interconnected systems and structures shine forth. The illustrations are superb. The text is clear (and, some might say, dull). It is one of the great reference works of all time, used by physicians, students, artists, and anyone interested in human anatomy.