Titled "My Heart Will Go On," NPR's Robert Krulwich and Adam Cole have taken a fascinating look at historical anatomical images of the heart. The illumination above, which comes from Oxford's Bodleian Library, is, according to the story:
...how folks in 13th century England drew the heart. Look at how it's at the very center of the body, and everything radiates from it. The blood vessels are all one-way - they just reach out to the limbs and organs, and stop there. See, they thought that the heart was the physical home of the soul, supplying the rest of the body with a sort of life force.
The story is replete with other equally fascinating images from England, Italy and more. If you're interested in historical medical images, it will make your Valentine's morning.
Related: Anatomical illustrations from Edo-period Japan, Image of the Week: De humani corporis fabrica and Historic scientific books now available on the Web
Via @jayparkinson
