Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Rodent Stereotaxic Surgery and Animal Welfare Outcome Improvements for Behavioral Neuroscience
Published on: January 30, 2012
Animals inside. Anatomy, interiority and virtue in the early modern Dutch Republic
1Faculty of Arts, Department of Art History, University of Leiden, NL. R.Knoeff@let.leidenuniv.nl
Abstract:
People in the early modern period frequently gave accounts of little animals (such as worms, flies, slugs and even dogs) living and breeding inside their bodies. This article investigates descriptions of "animals inside" in the works of Dutch anatomist Frederik Ruysch. It links the occurrence of such animals to the fear of pile worms endangering Dutch dikes and houses, and thereby the safety of society. The animals embodied pain and discomfort and were often associated with immorality and sexuality. As powerful symbols of interior corruption, they served as tangible reminders of the corruption of individuals as well as of the nation.
Related Concept Videos
Ethics in Research
Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the small...
Tonicity in Animals
Tonicity in Animals
Behaviorism
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
Egoism and Altruism
