Twee vergrotingen van een vergevorderd ontstoken stuk dikke darm before 1879

This is 'Two Views of a Perpendicular Section of Colon Showing More Advanced Inflammation,' created by Joseph Janvier Woodward. It is a microscopic section of the colon that was created sometime between the 1860s and 1880s. Woodward was a surgeon in the US Army during the American Civil War and later became a medical illustrator. His work reflects the 19th-century drive to classify and understand the human body through detailed observation. The black and white image, with its magnified view of diseased tissue, presents a stark and clinical perspective on the body. What does it mean to dissect and display the human form in such a way? Where does science meet social responsibility? How does this medical gaze shape our understanding of health, disease, and mortality, especially in times of war? Woodward’s illustration prompts us to reflect on the complex relationship between scientific advancement, bodily experience, and ethical considerations.