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Ancient Dissection - Re-enacted
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Other Dissection Material

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Nerve Fibres in Muscles

The images show the insertion and branching of nerves in muscles. According to Galen, muscle fibres are in fact nerve fibres, which through their branching and splitting inside the muscles become woven into the muscle flesh. See for example, Galen, On the Motion of Muscles I 1 (3,3—9 Rosa = IV 371—372 K.).
This idea of Galen is discussed in detail in Ezrokhi, D. and Lewis, O., “Galen’s Typology of Organs”, Apeiron, forthcoming 2025.
The images below show the semitendinosus muscle of the pig at the back of a female pig’s hindlimb. The muscle has been cut open to reveal the insertion of the nerve and its branches inside the muscle.

Nerve Fibres inside a Muscle
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Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Yellow lines: borders of the cut Muscle. Scalpel pointing at nerve insertion and initial branches. Tweezers are pulling up and back one side of the incision to provide a better view.
Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Scalpel pointing at nerve branches inside the muscle.
Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Dotted lines show the outline of the incision. Arrow pointing to nerve branches.
Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Yellow lines: outline of the muscle and incision.
Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Arrow pointing to nerve branches inside the open muscle.
Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Yellow lines: outline of muscle and incision. Arrow: nerve branches
Nerve insertion and branches inside a muscle
Image
Image 1 _ Nerve insertion and its branches.jpg
Legend
Yellow lines: borders of the cut Muscle.
Scalpel pointing at nerve insertion and initial branches.
Tweezers are pulling up and back one side of the incision to provide a better view.
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