Henry Gray (1827 – 13 June 1861) was a British

anatomist Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

and

surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...

most notable for publishing the book ''

Gray's Anatomy ''Gray's Anatomy'' is a reference book of human anatomy written by Henry Gray, illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter and first published in London in 1858. It has had multiple revised editions, and the current edition, the 42nd (October 2020 ...

''. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

(FRS) at the age of 25. Grave of Henry Gray in Highgate Cemetery

Biography

Gray was born in

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...

, London, in 1827 and lived most of his life in London. In 1842, he entered as a student at St. George's Hospital, London (then situated in Belgravia, now moved to

Tooting Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross. History Tooting has been settled since pre-Anglo-Saxons, Saxon times. The name is of Anglo-Saxon ori ...

), and he is described by those who knew him as a most painstaking and methodical worker, and one who learned his anatomy by the slow but invaluable method of making dissections for himself. While still a student, Gray secured the triennial prize of

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

in 1848 for an essay entitled ''The Origin, Connexions and Distribution of

nerves A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses called ...

to the

human eye The human eye is a sensory organ in the visual system that reacts to light, visible light allowing eyesight. Other functions include maintaining the circadian rhythm, and Balance (ability), keeping balance. The eye can be considered as a living ...

and its appendages, illustrated by comparative dissections of the eye in other

vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

animals.'' In 1852, at the early age of 25, he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

, and in the following year he obtained the

Astley Cooper Sir Astley Paston Cooper, 1st Baronet (23 August 176812 February 1841) was a British surgeon and anatomist, who made contributions to otology, vascular surgery, the anatomy and pathology of the mammary glands and testicles, and the pathology ...

prize of three hundred

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

for a dissertation "On the structure and Use of

Spleen The spleen (, from Ancient Greek '' σπλήν'', splḗn) is an organ (biology), organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The spleen plays important roles in reg ...

." In 1858, Gray published the first edition of ''

Anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

'', which covered 750 pages and contained 363 figures. He had the good fortune of securing the help of his friend

Henry Vandyke Carter Henry Vandyke Carter (born 22 May 1831 – 4 May 1897) was an English anatomist, surgeon, and anatomical artist most notable for his illustrations of the book ''Gray's Anatomy''. Childhood Henry Vandyke Carter was born on 22 May 1831 in Kingsto ...

, a skilled draughtsman and formerly a demonstrator of anatomy at St. George's Hospital. Carter made the drawings from which the engravings were executed. The excellence of Carter's illustrations contributed greatly to the initial success of the book. This edition was dedicated to Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie. A second edition was prepared by Gray and published in 1860. The book is still published under the title ''

'' and widely appreciated as an authoritative textbook for

medical students A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

. Gray held successively the posts of demonstrator of ''Anatomy'', curator of the museum and Lecturer of Anatomy at St. George's Hospital and was in 1861 a candidate for the post of assistant surgeon.

Death

Gray was struck by an attack of confluent

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

, the most deadly type of the disease where individual lesions become so numerous that they join as a continuous, "confluent" sheet. He is assumed to have been infected due to his extended and meticulous caring for his ten-year-old nephew, Charles Gray, who did eventually recover. On 13 June 1861, the day he was to appear for an interview as a final candidate for a prestigious post at the St. George's Hospital, he died at the age of 34. He was buried at

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

. Gray had been vaccinated against smallpox as a child with one of the early forms of the vaccine.

Works/Bibliography

*''The Origin, Connections, and Distribution of

Nerves A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses called ...

to the

Human Eye The human eye is a sensory organ in the visual system that reacts to light, visible light allowing eyesight. Other functions include maintaining the circadian rhythm, and Balance (ability), keeping balance. The eye can be considered as a living ...

and its Appendages, illustrated by Comparative Dissections of the Eye in Other

Vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

Animals'' (1848) – essay *''On the Structure and Use of

'' (1854) – jointly illustrated by

*''Descriptive and Surgical Anatomy 1st Edition'' (August 1858) – jointly illustrated by

– popularly known as ''

'' *''Descriptive and Surgical Anatomy 2nd Edition'' (December 1860) – jointly illustrated by

and John Gulse Westmacott – popularly known as ''

References

*Some information was extracted from an article which appeared in the St. George's Hospital Gazette of 21 May 1908 and has been taken directly from Gray's Anatomy-Thirty-seventh International Student Edition. *

External links

On the Structure and Use of the Spleen (1854) and ''Descriptive and Surgical Anatomy'', 1st and 2nd eds. (1858 and 1860)

First American edition of Gray's Anatomy (Philadelphia, 1859)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Henry 1827 births 1861 deaths 19th-century English medical doctors Alumni of St George's, University of London British textbook writers Burials at Highgate Cemetery Deaths from smallpox in England English anatomists English surgeons Fellows of the Royal Society Medical textbook writers People from Belgravia