Human spine and nerves. 18th-century illustration of the human spinal cord (left) and spinal nerves branching off to the neck, arms, ribs and pelvis (right). A needle has been placed under the intercostal (rib) nerves at centre right. This artwork is from the fifth edition (1740) of 'The Anatomy of the Human Body' by English surgeon and anatomist William Cheselden (1688-1752). This book was first published in 1713 and was re-issued through 13 editions. It was popular due to being written in English instead of Latin.