1688-1752

English anatomist and surgeon who wrote two beautifully illustrated anatomical masterpieces, The Anatomy of the Humane Body (1713) and Osteographia, or the Anatomy of the Bones (1733). Cheselden was a student of William Cowper, and like Cowper, was often accused of plagiarism. As a surgeon at St. Thomas's Hospital, London, he improved procedures for lithotomy, restored eyesight by creating artificial pupils, and was renowned for his speed, which was one of the most important qualifications for a surgeon in era before anesthesia was available.