History and science collide in the fascinating history of anatomy, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci, and the pioneering, lavishly illustrated book by Andreas Vesalius, to the crimes of William Burke and William Hare in 19th-century Edinburgh. This history of how anatomy was studied focuses on Edinburgh and the West Port murders in 1828 and acknowledges the science's reliance on dead bodies taken without consent. Edinburgh was an important centre for medical teaching at this time but the sixteen murders exposed the darker side of the practice and study of medicine - the bodies were sold by Burke and Hare to the Edinburgh anatomist Dr Robert Knox. The book accompanies a major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland 2 July-30 October 22 which charts five hundred years of medical exploration.