The role of the University of Padua medical school in the study of conjoined twins between 18th and early 19th century

Giovanni Magno, Lucas L. Boer, Roelof-Jan Oostra, Alberto Zanatta

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Medical School of Padua (Italy) contributed profoundly to the study of teratology. Many famous physicians and professors of medicine, such as Liceti, Vallisneri, Morgagni, and Malacarne, have studied and investigated these anomalies to better understand the causes and to find a potential explanation, often preserving the specimens for future studies. The present study highlights some historical cases of conjoined twins and a conjoined triplet preserved at the Morgagni Museum of Human Anatomy to show the development of medical theories in the teratological field between the 18th and early 19th century. This approach will provide insights into different study methods and ideas of some of the most famous scholars working in Padua at that time. The current article focuses on rare cases, both human and animal, that were encountered by physicians who worked in the Veneto area in the late 18th and early 19th century. Their detailed descriptions are not only of historical but also of contemporary dysmorphological value.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3423-3431
Number of pages9
JournalAmerican journal of medical genetics. Part A
Volume188
Issue number12
Early online date2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022

Keywords

  • Paduan medical school
  • conjoined triplets
  • conjoined twins
  • museum
  • teratology

Cite this