Visual Rhetoric in Medical Illustrations and the Implications in Medical Practices
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Visual Rhetoric in Medical Illustrations
and the Implications in Medical Practices
Huy Gia Truong | Pennsylvania State University, Berks
Several studies of visual rhetoric and its relationship to scientific visuals have been widely
discussed by figures such as Sonja Foss, who explored visual rhetoric theory, and Rachel
Hajar, who traces the historical changes of medical illustrations. However, the rhetorical
strategies used in medical drawings and how they impacted the representation of the
human body are yet to be analyzed. In this essay, I explore this gap by analyzing the his-
torical changes in the visual artifacts, applying Kenny T. Fountain’s concepts of trained
vision and Mary Rosner’s theory of the larger contexts. Specifically, this essay explores
the rhetorical craft of “The Wound Man” during the Medieval periods, the illustrations of
Andreas Vesalius in the 19th century, and a three-dimensional model of human anatomy
in an online video by AnatomyZone in the 21st century using the visual rhetoric theory as
a method. The changes in technology and increased medical knowledge influenced how
visual rhetorical strategies can be used to portray the human body. Examining medical
drawings in this way can reveal how rhetorics function in the field of science and provide
insights into the interplay of art and science.
I
n medical manuscripts, the communica- In this case, effective medical communica-
tion of medical information significantly tions take on an illustrative path. According to
depends on both the available knowledge visual rhetoric theory, the ways in which visual
and the rhetorical methods used to construct artifacts (from statistical graphs and models to
the language. Scientific writers in the field detailed drawings) are presented contain rhe-
use rhetorical strategies in their texts that al- torical attributes used to communicate an idea
low for elaborate and convincing delivery of or message (Fox). Essentially, visual rhetoric
the complex information to medical students, involves using the components of an image as
whose experiences are solely dependent on a way of argument that informs or communi-
their acquisition and interpretations of such cates a message to the audience.
information. Visual information in a medical In an analysis of three different artifacts
context—such as a detailed sketch of the my- from different time periods, I will specifical-
ofibrils, a diagram of the endomembrane sys- ly address the ways in which elements are ar-
tem—relies on a different rhetorical approach: ranged in a human anatomy illustration and
visual rhetoric. in three-dimensional diagrams and how these
Truong | 127arrangements change progressively over time. construction of the message through visual
Specifically, I explore the ways in which the el- means. With modern scientific drawings, they,
ements interact with the main subject (for ex- too, contain artistic appeals but consequently
ample, the specific body part or the full human elicit a rhetorical response from one specific
body) and with each other and how this in- audience—the medical students and practi-
teraction contributes to the artifact’s message. tioners who reference them. Utilized in every
Using visual rhetorical analysis, I break down form of visual messaging, visual rhetoric re-
the key components of a human anatomy il- mains an important tool for artists to manipu-
lustration and explain how the organization of late the audience’s perception in order to pro-
a medical image can impact its meaning and duce a certain rhetorical effect and impact the
purposes. Essentially, the cultural and techno- audience’s understanding of an artwork.
logical changes in rhetorical strategies used in In addition to Foss’s concepts of visual rhet-
visual communication over time lead to varied oric, there are several components to consider
representations of the human body and more about the rhetorical argument in an image, es-
accurate medical diagrams that improve the pecially in the ways that shape how medical
medical knowledge and significantly enhance students, both those in the past and present,
the educational experience of emerging medi- think about the human body. Mary Rosner be-
cal students. lieves that we should consider the larger con-
The theory of visual rhetoric can further texts (in addition to physical aesthetics) of sci-
be elaborated in a way that explains the rhe- entific images—particularly the “procedures,”
torical approach in analyzing medical images. the audience’s assigned role, and the “political,
In “Framing the Study of Visual Rhetoric: To- social and cultural values”—in order to under-
ward a Transformation of Rhetorical Theory” stand how these elements of visual rhetoric in-
of Defining Visual Rhetorics, Sonja Foss asserts fluence audience’s perception and comprehen-
that a rhetorical analysis of visual artifacts sig- sion of scientific information (399-400). All
nificantly relies on understanding visuals from of these elements, when applied to anatomical
their superficial aesthetics, such as inferring illustrations, strongly influence how medical
the arguments, emotions, and ideas behind students think about the human body, and
the artistic constructions of colors, lines, and they should be examined when assessing illus-
textures (Foss 306). In other words, a rhetor- trations’ rhetorical purposes, which is to un-
ical approach to analyzing visual information cover and provide scientific truths and insights
significantly relies on the constructions being to medical students of the biological processes
used to persuade or to inform the audience, of the human body.
whose perceptions and understandings are the The first step in understanding the rhetor-
consequences. Therefore, medical illustrations ical strategies used in the following artifacts is
can also be looked at through a rhetorical lens to learn and understand how visual rhetoric,
that analytically illuminates the purposeful when used in medical drawings, fundamentally
128 | Young Scholars in Writingtrains medical students and practitioners to rhetorical significance, we can then analyze
look at the human body. In the essay “Anatomy how a medical illustration trains the eyes of
Education and the Observational-Embodied medical students in ways that shape medical
Look,” T. Kenny Fountain enlightens his read- knowledge at the time.
ers about the importance of the haptic (one’s Changes in medical illustration through-
sense of touch) experience in anatomy educa- out history can be attributed to several cultur-
tion and how observational-embodied learning al factors that influenced medical knowledge.
enhances students’ learning experience. About Rachel Hajar establishes the historical trajec-
visual anatomy, he argues that medical images tory of medical illustrations and their cultur-
which are “schematized,” “idealized,” and “ex- al influences, starting with Greek physicians
aggerated” affect “how students visually con- like Galen, who believed the heart was the core
ceive of the anatomical body” (Fountain 54). of human emotions (85), to anatomists like
He further elaborates on this influence, stat- Leonardo Da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius, who
ing that the contemporary visuals “exert a per- brought insights and accuracy to the field of
suasive and ontological force” because of their anatomy (90), and finally to the monumental
“scientifically aesthetically beautiful” and real- twentieth-century anatomists such as Frank
istic qualities that, to medical students, “[offer] Netter and Max Brodel, who was deemed
a guide” on how they should view the human “father of modern medical illustrations” (89).
body (Fountain 54). Such qualities of contem- These noted changes demonstrate the impor-
porary visuals that train the visions of medical tance of the visualization of the human body
students and practitioners are also applicable to and how human anatomy illustrations im-
the historical illustrations containing rhetori- pacted the medical field over time. Although
cal undertones that shaped the field of med- Hajar synthesizes a coherent and convincing
ical illustrations. Medical drawings, because argument of medical illustration and its signif-
of their persuasive, generalized, and idealized icance, she did not acknowledge and evaluate
characteristics that ascribe to a common rep- the ways in which these images contain rhetor-
resentation of the human body, influence not ical characteristics that bring about the infor-
only how medical students look at the body but mation to students practicing medicine or how
also how they understand it. We can now get the ways these drawings are made affect their
a basic understanding of how visual rhetoric intended meanings.
functions in medical drawings through Ros- In this analysis, I am particularly interest-
ner’s and Fountain’s research. Recall that in ed in the arrangements of the elements within
Rosner’s essay, she emphasizes the importance a medical illustration and how its organiza-
of an image’s larger context and the political tion creates meaning. It is also important to
and cultural values that affect the content of acknowledge the delivery system of informa-
the image and why the image was made. By tion that exists among the illustrations, the ac-
understanding a drawing’s contextual and companying texts and labels, and the medical
Truong | 129novice and practitioners—as audience—and on the medical practitioners. Using Rosner’s
their methods as a consequence. Therefore, I theory of the “larger context” and Fountain’s
will explore and assess what and how the rhe- concept of trained vision, I will analyze how
torical strategies involved in making an illus- these illustrations are put together and evaluate
tration at a specific time period influence its their values on the success of the illustrations.
meanings and its intended purposes and con- By studying visual rhetoric presented in human
sider the possible implications of using these anatomy drawings, we can draw out the char-
strategies. acteristics of an effective medical observation,
Human anatomy illustrations are good for evaluate the efficacy of the drawings, and as-
this specific rhetorical research because of their sess the implications these drawings demon-
drastic evolution throughout centuries, dating strate on visual rhetoric and the representations
back to the medieval years. As time progress- of the human body overall.
es, societal changes, human inventions, and Although human anatomy drawings have
technology contribute to an accessible number appeared throughout early civilization periods,
of materials and means that artists and anat- during the medieval period around the 14th
omists can use to improve illustrative med- and 15th century, medical illustrations with a
ical concepts. Using visual rhetoric theory as specific approach towards health and medicine
a method, I focus on three different human primarily focused on treating the injuries of the
anatomy related artifacts throughout different body. In addition, medieval medical practices
periods: the “Wound Man” by Pseudo Galen1 were heavily influenced by the works of the
in 1491, the illustrations of Andreas Vesalius in Greek physicians Galen and Hippocrates, who
the 16th Century, and finally a 3D video ren- believed that the health of the human body
dering of Muscle Anatomy by AnatomyZone is balanced or maintained by the four bodily
from YouTube in the 21st century. I have se- humors—blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black
lected these artifacts to target the same type bile (Bovey). Other forms of medieval medi-
of audience—medical students—to maintain cal practices involve bloodletting and urine ex-
consistency of my main argument that will es- amination to diagnose illnesses (Bovey). These
sentially assess the potential impacts they have beliefs continued to dominate many medical
1. “Pseudo-Galen” is not the Greek physician Ga- practices during this time, and consequently
len. Rather, Pseudo Galen is a term generally used influence the creation of many medical dia-
to establish the historical contexts of drawings and grams. As a result, medical illustrations were
manuscripts that ascribe to the medieval teachings primarily used to treat injuries, especially sol-
of Galen himself (Agostino). diers wounded in battles.
130 | Young Scholars in WritingFigure 1. “The Wound Man” by Pseudo Galen, Fasciculus Medicinae; Wellcome Collection , wellcomecollec-
tion.org/works/tp6fppqz.
Truong | 131The “Wound Man” (figure 1) is a medical arrangement of the weapons that puncture the
diagram that first appeared in the 1491 printed body and emphasize the ways in which these
Venetian medical manuscript Fasciculus Medic- injuries are fatal. At a closer look, many of
inae in Europe (Wellcome Collection). Along these violent and fatal injuries are highlighted
with the “Wound Man,” other illustrations, in the ventral cavity—that is the cranial, tho-
including the “Zodiac Man,” the “Disease racic, and abdominopelvic cavities. Within the
Man,” and the “Pregnant Woman,” were also thoracic cavity, only the heart is shown, and the
incorporated into this medical text. During other organs are not drawn out. This evidence
the Middle Ages, medical books were exclusive suggests a lack of medical knowledge about the
to the educated—mainly medieval physicians human body—in part due to how infrequent-
who documented injuries of the human body ly dissections were performed during this peri-
and, through visual rhetorical strategies, creat- od (Charlier et al.). The organization of large
ed illustrations such as the “Wound Man” for weapons—the longswords in the abdomen and
pedagogic purposes and references for treating the upper right side of the chest, the dagger
the body. The “Man” is displayed in standard in the head, the spear in the left side of the
anatomical position with the body standing up body—draws the attention of medical novic-
straight, palms facing forward, and feet apart es to these potentially fatal areas that require
and facing forward as well, while several weap- greater examination. These graphic imageries
ons penetrate different parts of his body. In a created by the addition of the blood splatter
comprehensive glance, the thoracic—or the at the wound site resulted in a realistic depic-
chest portion—and abdominopelvic cavity are tion of the ways men were injured on the bat-
given more emphasis with more swords, cleav- tlefront. The arrangement of the weapons on
ers, spears, arrows, and knives impaling the the body and their penetration through the
Man’s body. To the left of the thoracic cavity skin, the organs, and the limbs are purpose-
on the Man’s body lay the simplified version fully done to tell a certain narrative about this
of the heart with a sword piercing from the wounded man and the pains and battles that
left side of his rib cage into the bottom of the he had faced. This visual rhetorical strategy
heart. At each pierce of the weapons, the illus- presents the body in its most vulnerable, dam-
trator displayed open wounds and ruptures on aged state and lends medical practitioners the
the skin surrounded by blood, which can be power and responsibility to heal and save this
seen throughout the body. With a closer look, wounded man. Created in the medieval beliefs
the ways in which these injuries were illustrat- about the human body and health, this illus-
ed exhibit many of the medieval medicine be- tration exhibits many of those attitudes and a
liefs that influenced how practitioners trained limited knowledge about the body through the
their vision to consider the human body. ways the body is visually depicted.
In all of these injuries, the illustrator at- The rhetorical purpose of illustrating the
tempted to draw the student’s attention to- human body in an injured, vulnerable state
wards the severity of the injuries through the is present in the ways the “Wound Man” was
132 | Young Scholars in Writingdrawn. The locations of the injuries, the sever- physician Galen on the human body and
ity of the scars and ruptures of the skin, and health were later disproved with the revolu-
the various ways in which the weapons pene- tionizing anatomical findings of Andreas Ve-
trate the body serve to guide medical novices’ salius (Hajar 90), a Belgian physician whose
eyes in a logical maze to certain body parts, best works on human anatomical diagram later
each requiring a different treatment. Addition- became known as De Humani Corporis Fabri-
ally, the injuries serve to educate medical stu- ca Libri Septem and the accompanying volume
dents of the common ways people in war can De Humani Corporis Fabrica Librorum Epitome
be wounded (from a skin puncture wound to (both will be referenced as the Fabrica and the
a deep wound inside the body) and how each Epitome, respectively, in this essay). Vesalius’
wound must be treated. The inclusion of the anatomical works were based on human ca-
facial expression provides a human connection davers rather than animals from which Galen-
to medical students observing the diagram and ic anatomy was derived (Dominiczak 1687).
thereby helps the students to form a personal While maintaining a profession on the teach-
bond, which on an ethical level is relevant to ing of anatomy and surgery, Vesalius began
the treatment of patients in a surgical or med- to publish his anatomical diagrams to supple-
ical setting. These depictions of injuries and ment his teachings (Dominiczak 1687). The
medieval beliefs about health and the human most notable and well-known works of Vesali-
body, with religious, political, and cultural in- us are the Fabrica and the Epitome—published
fluences, train medical practitioners to view in 1543—which contained over 600 engraved
the body as a temple. Although no longer used illustrations portraying the intricate muscu-
in modern medical textbooks, the “Wound lar, nervous, and skeletal systems as well as the
Man” and similar works facilitated a move- brain, the abdomen, and the thoracic regions;
ment toward the better Greek portrayal of the these monumental illustrations are evident
human body. “of the benefits of collaboration between sci-
At the turn of the early 16th century, human ence and the arts” (Dominiczak 1687). This
dissections became more prominent, and, as evidence suggests that human dissections con-
a result, human anatomy became an estab- tributed to improved medical knowledge of
lished and more respected field of science. The the human body, allowing medical diagrams
previous erroneous beliefs of the Greek to become increasingly technical and accurate.
Truong | 133Figure 2. The muscular system illustrated by Andreas Vesalius, De Humani Corporis Fabrica Librorum Epitome; University of Glasgow, Vesalius, http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/sep2002.htm 134 | Young Scholars in Writing
Figure 3. The deep layers within the muscular system illustrated by Andreas Vesalius, De Humani Corporis
Fabrica Librorum Epitome; University of Glasgow, Vesalius, http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/
sep2002.htm
Truong | 135The preceding illustrations were intend- figure 2. In addition, the mandible (jawbone),
ed for both students and anatomists studying clavicle (collar bone), the humerus (the forearm
medicine to visually dissect and observe the bone), and the complete rib cage are exposed,
complexity of the human body in preparation while the previous layers of muscles (figure 2)
for actual dissection. It is important to note have been peeled away. The resulting effect is
that figure 2 and figure 3 are in chronological a more in-depth look at the body’s supportive
order as they appeared in the Epitome, and the skeletal system interacting with a portion of the
main point of organizing the pages this way deep muscles wrapping around certain bones.
is to lead the students’ methodical progression Consequently, the body is understood to be a
into the body layer by layer until the complete multilayer system of intricate arrangements of
skeleton is exposed. For example, in figure 2, organs and tissues that result in physical func-
Vesalius illustrated the first and second lay- tions essential to life. As a result, the physical-
ers of muscle in vivid detail of the male body. ity of the human body is enhanced through
Each muscle fiber can be seen tucked away Vesalius’ works with increased accuracy and
into other muscle fibers while simultaneously details that provide for a more accurate under-
woven into the rib cage and other structural standing of the human body and how it works.
bones in the body. The left side of the body While illustrating serves as a means for
highlights the superficial muscles, while the Vesalius to record his anatomical findings
right side reveals the deep muscles connected and publicize his teachings, he also manipu-
to the bones and nerves. As importantly, two lated the visual rhetorical strategy to empha-
columns of texts correspond to the two layers size the attractive features of the human body.
as shown to accommodate the reader’s visual Through the arrangements of muscles and
comprehension of the body. bones and the complexity that the individual
These methods of cataloging the body in systems work together, Vesalius highlighted
such a detail-oriented manner suggest a more the beauty of the human body and empha-
technical and somewhat mechanical approach sized the importance of anatomical observa-
to the human body, in contrast to what the tion through human dissections. This stylized
“Wound Man” demonstrated. Arranging the physique accentuates the body’s beauty stan-
muscular system in layers allows medical stu- dards that influence European artists during
dents to look at the human body in a scientific the Renaissance. The cultural values associat-
way that is both easy to observe—in the ab- ed with a better appreciation of fine arts and
sence of a live observation of a human body— the human body during the Renaissance ulti-
and conceivable with the organized labeling of mately influenced Vesalius’ works. The elab-
each muscle group and bones through the texts orate illustration of the human body and the
being used (Fountain 54-55). Similarly, in fig- cataloging of the individual body parts add
ure 3, Vesalius drew the third layer of muscles to the realism and the aesthetics, as well as
and some of the previously covered bones in contribute to a more scientifically accurate
136 | Young Scholars in Writingrepresentation of the human body. These fac- touch of a button. Medical illustrations have
tors of enhanced aesthetics and realism provide also changed due to increasing medical knowl-
a much more fleshed out approach to studying edge and becoming digital, most commonly in
the human body and help medical students to three-dimensional imaging and animation.
see the body more accurately as well as in an The following 3-D medical diagram was
idealized structure. The compartmentalization created by AnatomyZone in the form of an
combined with the realistic illustration of the instructional video released on YouTube in
body serve to also represent the human body in which the creator comments throughout the
a complete and artistically appealing sense that video. The public website called AnatomyZone
appeals to medical practitioners who used Ve- was created by Peter de Souza and Jack Hur-
salius’ illustrations to deepen their knowledge ley, both medical doctors. AnatomyZone was
of the human body. “founded on the idea that anatomy should be
The development of human anatomy il- interactive, 3 dimensional and fun!” and asserts
lustrations continued with enhanced knowl- that all anatomy videos released are free for the
edge as well as advanced technologies. Henry public (de Souza and Hurley). Although freely
Gray, a British anatomist in the 19th centu- accessible for all types of viewers, the contents
ry, became prominent with his published produced by AnatomyZone specifically appeal
book Gray’s Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical, to medical students who are studying anato-
which earned him his election to the Royal my and want to supplement their education.
Society (“Henry Gray”). After Henry Gray’s Using YouTube as a platform to reach millions
monumental work, in the 20th century, Max of people, de Souza and Hurley have released
Brödel was another important figure with- over 187 videos and accrued over 53,319,965
in the medical illustration field. Essentially, views, 25,000 registered users on their website,
Brödel’s realistic illustrations, such as his con- and 604,000 subscribers.
tributions in Harvey Cushing’s “Surgical Ex-
periences with Pituitary Disorders,” contribut-
ed to greater medical knowledge for the field
of neurosurgery (Patel et al. 185). The works of
both of these influential anatomists have con-
tinued to educate today’s generation of medical
students, with information being more acces-
sible due to technological advancement in the
21st century. Medical students today can ac-
cess traditional textbook information and vir-
Figure 4. The biceps brachii and adjacent muscles,
tual knowledge released on the internet, which
“Biceps Brachii | Muscle Anatomy” by Peter de Souza
provides vast amounts of information that can and Jack Hurley; YouTube, 28 Feb. 2018, https://
be accessed on smart devices with a swipe or www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWuF57uNC0M
Truong | 137to observing the body through virtual reality.
This transition results in a portion of the shoul-
der muscle disappearing to reveal the tucked
away superior strands of biceps brachii that at-
tach to the scapula bone. At each perspective
of the diagram, visual effects are used to hide
certain portions of the diagram, as evident in
the disappearance of muscle groups in order to
reveal the contents beneath. Labels and arrows
throughout the video pop up as Hurley men-
Figure 5. The scapula bone and biceps brachii,
tions various terms and explains the structure
“Biceps Brachii | Muscle Anatomy” by Peter de Souza
and Jack Hurley; YouTube, 28 Feb. 2018, https://
and function of the biceps brachii. As Hur-
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWuF57uNC0M ley continues to elaborate on the origin of the
muscle from the coracoid process at the time
The following video that I have selected mark 1:07, the previously white 3-D bones be-
to discuss exhibits many advanced rhetorical came transparent and reveal the “coracoid” la-
techniques made possible by the use of technol- beled bone protrusion underneath.
ogy. In the “Biceps Brachii | Muscle Anatomy”
video, Jack Hurley, as the instructor, first in-
troduces the term “biceps brachii” and breaks
down the structure of the biceps in relation to
other bones and muscles. In this video, since
the bicep is the main subject, only the upper
right portion of the human body is shown.
The muscle biceps brachii is highlighted in
red and yellow, brighter than any of the colors
of the parts surrounding it, in order to draw
the attention of viewers to the subject matter Figure 6. The musculocutaneous nerves near
(figure 4). The video then hovers over to the the biceps brachii, “Biceps Brachii | Muscle
top of the biceps brachii as Hurley explains the Anatomy” by Peter de Souza and Jack Hurley;
YouTube, 28 Feb. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/
muscle’s extension from the scapula (figure 5).
watch?v=MWuF57uNC0M
The movement from perspective to perspec-
tive within the video arranged to be in sync The video also demonstrates the complexi-
with the acoustic commentary serves to im- ty of arrangement using animation of small de-
prove visual comprehension by targeting both tails woven into the 3-D diagram. At the time
the visual sense and the aural sense, and, at the mark 3:38, the video introduces another ele-
same time, contains a comprehensive approach ment on the bottom left-hand side of the video:
138 | Young Scholars in Writinga gray box with a 3-D animated male model in the realistic nature of the nerves in the human
two different perspectives. Hurley, at this mo- body and provides an accurate observation for
ment, explains the action of the biceps as the medical students learning about the complete
animation of the man raises his arms, demon- anatomy of the biceps.
strating the flexion of the elbow. Then at the The rhetorical concern of 3-D visual ar-
mark 4:08, the gray box now shows the supi- rangement arises in these modern types of
nating of the forearm, but this time a skeletal illustration. 2-D illustrations mostly lack the
body can be seen on top of the man, parallel- visual effects advantage that a video of a 3-D
ing the twisting of the forearms. This addition illustration has. In a video, the creator has
serves to aid the viewer’s visual comprehension more power in delivering the information to
of the specific action of the muscle and the re- the viewers given the control of how he or she
lated structures that work with the muscles to wants to arrange the elements and determine
produce that action. The collective result from their behavior in the video, most of which a
arranging a human figure with the movements 2-D illustration is limited to an immotile and
of the forearm containing the muscles and an- flat surface with little room to manipulate.
imation of the muscle contractions is that the The visual effects draw the viewers’ atten-
viewers get a complete visual understanding of tion to certain parts of the video and isolate
how the action works. Therefore, the complex- their perception to what is being shown (as
ity lies in the ways Hurley uses technology to explained above of the use of transparent ef-
pair additional images and visual aids to make fects), thereby influencing their understand-
the information easier to digest for medical stu- ing of the materials. The use of visual effects
dents. Hurley then addresses the specific nerve consequently facilitates the acquisition of com-
supply to the biceps as the video zooms in on plex medical information required of medical
the biceps and the humerus bone beneath it. In students to understand through the use of ef-
figure 6, each individual strand of nerve (the fective arrangements and compositions of the
Musculocutaneous Nerve) can be observed in body parts. The evolutionary advantage of this
a bundle, stemming from the “lateral cord of type of illustration is that medical practitioners
the brachial plexus” that surrounds the humer- can see another dimension of the human body,
us bone. With increasing complexity of infor- one that can be manipulated through technol-
mation, the diagram continues to be manipu- ogies so that certain body parts are emphasized
lated by visual effects while Hurley talks more for various learning purposes. Equally import-
about the muscle. The complexity is evident in ant, the use of a voiceover in a video format
how visual effects are used to indicate the loca- allows the creator/author to easily deliver the
tions of the nerves relative to the muscle. Each learning content to medical students and prac-
strand of the nerves is shown as well as how titioners by integrating auditory cues with vi-
they wrap around the bones and on top of each sual information. Therefore, the visual rhetor-
other. This organization of the nerves mirrors ical strategies used in making a 3-D model are
Truong | 139supplemented by audio as a way to train med- inner biceps structures. The voice narration
ical students how to observe the human body also serves to facilitate the intake of informa-
in a more complex manner that a 2-D drawing tion for medical students while watching the
alone cannot offer. video. Each new and improved technology al-
The degree to which the above illustrations lows for not only a more descriptive visualiza-
are effective at medical communication relies tion of the human body but also a critical level
on the rhetorical methods used. The advances from which the body can be understood. The
in medical knowledge and technology allowed effectiveness of the rhetorical strategy used in
medical illustrations to transition from tradi- these illustrations is attributed to the technical
tional pencil-and-paper drawings to contem- skills as well as the political and cultural values
porary 3-D diagrams. The rhetorical arrange- that changed over time. It makes sense to infer
ments present in all three artifacts, therefore, that increased technical skills result in accurate
are influenced by the technical skills applied. medical diagrams that contribute to enhanced
First, when Galenic medical beliefs influenced medical knowledge of the human body.
the medical practices during the Medieval pe- Studying these illustrations and analyzing
riod (Bovey), the “Wound Man” presents a the visual rhetorical strategies used in mak-
narrative of the patient in both the arrange- ing them effective within the medical field
ments of weapons and the humanity that exists shows us the changes in the ways visual rhet-
in the simplified drawing style of the face and oric has been used in the representation of the
body. However, the drawing was anatomical- human body. These noted changes suggest
ly flawed and misrepresented the body. Vesal- that human anatomy illustrations adopted dif-
ius’s illustrations, on the other hand, improved ferent rhetorical approaches as time progressed
greatly in terms of anatomical accuracy. Since and technology became more advanced. Ad-
the illustrations were recorded from human vancing technologies and changing cultural
dissections, the arrangements of the muscular and political values collectively influenced the
system in layers provide both a methodical ap- illustration styles highlighted in each artifact
proach to performing dissections and the cor- discussed in this essay. While visual rhetoric
rectly constructed human body and provides is not exclusive to the use of illustrations, its
an accurate study, making them a reliable re- theories and methods are constantly advanc-
source for medical students to use in prepa- ing and adapting to new and inventive visual
ration for a real medical setting. In addition, media that are utilized to better suit the needs
with technological advancements, the use of of medical students and practitioners who will
computerized visual effects in Hurley’s “Bi- use these visual aids to supplement their un-
ceps” video makes it easy for modern medical derstanding of the human body and their prac-
students to get a complete look at the outer and tices in the medical world.
140 | Young Scholars in WritingAcknowledgments
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Holly Ryan for giving me the opportunity to write this piece and for
her guidance, encouragement, and support during my writing process. Special thanks to the edi-
tors at Young Scholars in Writing for your feedback and kindness throughout the revision process.
And most importantly, my greatest appreciation to my family, who supported me at every step.
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