A GLIMPSE OF OUR PAST

Jacob B. Winslow (1669–1760)

SHARATH S. BELLARY,1 ANDREW WALTERS,1 JERZY GIELECKI,2

MOHAMMADALI M. SHOJA,3 R. SHANE TUBBS,3 AND MARIOS LOUKAS1,2*1Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St George’s University, Grenada, West Indies

2Department of Anatomy, Varmia and Mazuria University, Olsztyn, Poland3Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Birmingham, Alabama

Jacob Winslow was a Dutch born, French naturalized anatomist and physicianwhose contributions to medicine are abundant. His importance to medicine isundisputed. His personal life included a religious crisis that resulted in hisestrangement from his family, but afforded him patrons in Paris to continue hiswork. Following this conversion, he changed his name to that of his catechistand was rechristened Jacques Benigne Wilson. His respect as an expert waswell deserved, and he held several prominent positions during his career inParis. His main work, Exposition anatomique de la structure du corps humain,was published in 1732 and is considered the first purely anatomical treatise.This review highlights his contributions to anatomy and medicine through thecourse of his career. Clin. Anat. :000–000, 2012. VVC 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Key words: Jacob Winslow; Jacgues Benigne Wilson; foramen of Winslow;omental foramen; cranial nerves

INTRODUCTION

Jacob Winslow, also known as Jacques-BenigneWinslow, was a Danish anatomist born 2 April 1669in Odense, Denmark (Fig. 1). His actual surname wasMansen, but his father and grandfather adopted thename ‘‘Winslow,’’ referring to the village of Scanie(Winsloe) where his grandfather had lived (Garraud,1955; Snorrason, 1969; Olry, 1996). Both his fatherand grandfather were Protestant ministers, and Win-slow’s original ambition was to follow in their foot-steps. Fortunately for the field of medicine, while intheology school, Winslow frequently had spirited dis-cussions with a medical student he had befriended.Eventually, each convinced the other of the merits ofhis field; Winslow decided to study medicine and hisfriend opted for theology (Olry, 1996). The name ofthis friend has been lost in time, but we owe one ofthe most famous anatomists of the eighteenth cen-tury to this anonymous theologian.

Winslow first studied in Demark under Johannesde Buchwald (1658–1738) and concentrated onanatomy, since surgery and the sight of blooddisturbed him. Afterwards, he was able to travel toHolland where he studied under the direction of therenowned Friedrich Ruysch (1638–1721). Eventu-

ally, however, Winslow traveled to Paris and becamethe protege of Joseph Guichard Duverney (1648–1730) at the Jardin du Roy. Winslow and his familywere Lutheran, and this allowed him financial aid forhis studies not only from his family, but also fromthe Danish Crown. However, he became acquaintedwith the famous bishop of Meaux, Jacques BenigneBossuet (1627–1704), and following the tradition ofhis great uncle Nicolas Steno (1638–1686),renounced the Lutheran faith for Catholicism on Oc-tober 8, 1699 at the age of thirty (Snorrason, 1969;Olry, 1996). Due to his conversion, he fell out offavor with the Danish King and with his own family.He lost his scholarship and his family disowned him.From then forward, however, Winslow received con-tributions from Catholic patrons and never saw it fitto return to Denmark. His career was prolific andhis professional achievements were numerous.

*Correspondence to: Marios Loukas, Department of AnatomicalSciences, St. George’s University, School of Medicine, Grenada,West Indies. E-mail: mloukas@sgu.edu

Received 31 August 2011; Revised 11 November 2011;Accepted 3 January 2012

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).DOI 10.1002/ca.22033

VVC 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical Anatomy 00:000–000 (2012)

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He received his doctor of medicine in Paris on 15March 1703 and was admitted to the Academie desSciences in 1707. Winslow maintained a busy prac-tice and was appointed as a physician at the HospitalGeneral at Bicetre in 1709. In 1721, he assumedDuverney’s duties at the Jardin du Roy and he suc-ceeded Francois Joseph Hunault (1701–1742) as thechair of anatomy of the Jardin du Roy after Hunault’sdeath (Maar, 1932; Meisen, 1932; Pagel, 1962;Snorrason, 1969; Olry, 1996).

Winslow’s contributions to the science of anatomyare profuse. From 1711 to 1743 he published nearly30 treatises on a variety of subjects. In these hedescribed the course of various muscles and showedthat muscles do not work independently, but rathersynergistically with appropriate antagonistic groups(Ehrencron-Muller, 1932; Meisen, 1932; Winslow,1754). In 1715, he described the aperture (foramen)between the greater and lesser sacs of the peritonealcavity, which now bears his name. This foramen isthe surgical landmark for the Pringle maneuver, inwhich a surgeon can compress the portal triad

anteriorly to reduce bleeding. Also, the inferior venacava forms the posterior border of this foramen andis useful in hemodynamic stabilization during surgicalprocedures of this area. In 1732, during his tenureat the Jardin du Roy, Winslow published one of thevery first descriptions of cranial anatomy and alsocoined the term nervus sympathicus (Blair, 1932;Winslow, 1758; Snorrason, 1969). In addition, 1732marked the first publication of his seminal work, Ex-position anatomique de la structure du corps humain(Fig. 2). This exposition of the human body was dis-tinguished as being the first anatomical treatise ofdescriptive anatomy, divorced from physiologicaldetails and hypothetical explanations beyond theordinary scope of an anatomy text (Winslow, 1754;Snorrason, 1969). In it, he described 10 cranialnerves (nerves of the medulla oblongata), one ofwhich was actually the first cervical spinal nerve.Much of the terminology he proposed is still usedtoday, including that for the olfactory, optic, troch-lear, trigeminal, auditory, and hypoglossal nerves(Olry, 1996). Additionally, even though some of the

Fig. 2. Title page of Winslow’s premier work, Expo-sition anatomique de la structure du corps humain(Winslow, 1732).

Fig. 1. Jacob B. Winslow (1669–1760) (Figurefrom: Hansen P [1886] Illustreret Dansk Litteraturhis-torie, Bind 2, Copenhagen: P.G. Philipsen.) [Color figurecan be viewed in the online issue, which is available atwileyonlinelibrary.com.]

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current nomenclature differs from the terminologydeveloped by Winslow, his definitions and descrip-tions of other neural structures were functionallyaccurate. These included descriptions of the oculo-motor nerve, the sympathetic trunk, the superior,middle, and inferior cervical ganglia, and the firstthoracic ganglion. His other anatomical contributionsdescribed the structure, relationships, and develop-ment of the heart and muscular system, as well asstudies in osteology and teratology. Winslow held hispost at the Jardin du Roy until forced to retire due toextreme deafness (Olry, 1996; Meisen, 1932).

Winslow also believed the methods of determiningdeath were unreliable, and as such, the risk of beingburied alive was common. He went on to write acompendium of cases alleging premature burial,which may not have been scientifically rigorous(Cooper, 1746). In his thesis, he called for burial tobe delayed until signs of putrefaction becameobvious. Because of Winslow’s respect as an expertin medicine, a real fear of premature burial grew anddelayed internment became widely practiced.

Winslow remained in Paris for the remainder ofhis life despite being invited to return to Demark onseveral occasions. He held great esteem as ananatomist and his contributions to medicine areabundant. Winslow died in Paris on 3 April 1760,and is buried on the grounds of the church St.Benoit (Olry, 1996). It is the contributions of suchpioneers on which we base our current anatomicalknowledge.

REFERENCES

Blair DM. 1932. Winslow and sympathetic system. Br Med J2:1200–1201.

Cooper M. 1746. The uncertainty of the signs of death, and the dan-ger of precipitate internments and dissections by Jacques-Benigne Winslow. London: George Faulkner. p 175–219.

Ehrencron-Muller H. 1932. Forfatterlexikon. IX. Copenhagen:Aschehoug.

Garraud RM. 1955. Un artisan de l’amitie franco-dasnoise: Jaques-Benigne Winslow. Anatomiste danois. Professeur au Jardin duRoy de France. Presse Med 76:1589–1590.

Hansen P. 1886. Illustreret Dansk Litteraturhistorie bind 2. Copen-hagen: P.G. Philipsen.

Maar V. 1932. Lidt om J.-B. Winslow. Festskrift til Julius Petersen.Copenhagen: Prominent Danish Scientists. p 53–60.

Maar V. 1912. L’Autobiographie de J.B. Winslow. Paris-Copenhagen.Meisen V. 1932. Prominent Danish Scientists. Copenhagen: Levin &

Munksgaard. p 53–55.Olry R. 1996. Winslow’s contribution to our understanding of the

cervical portion of the sympathetic nervous system. J Hist Neu-rosci 5:190–196.

Pagel J. 1929. Winslow, Jakob Benignus. In: August Hirsch. 2nd Ed.Berlin: Urban & Schwarzenberg. p 1884–1888.

Snorrason E. 1969. Anatomen J.B. Winslow 1669–1760. Copenha-gen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag.

Winslow JB. 1732. Exposition anatomique de la structure du corpshumain. Paris: Desprez & Desessartz.

Winslow JB. 1754. Exposition anatomique de la structure du corpshumain. Paris: De l’Academie Royale des Sciences de Paris.

Winslow JB. 1758. Anatomica structure corporis humani tomussecundus. Paris: Acad Reg Gall Scient Aliarumque Socii. p 107–112.

3Jacob B. Winslow