Although written in the middle of the nineteenth century, Gray's Anatomy is still the most famous and important medical references book ever written. Experts agree that subsequent editions have never surpassed the beauty and simplicity of the original, and Henry Gray's clarity of expression. An essential element of the book is remarkable illustrative work of Henry Vandyke Carter, indisputedly the most talented medical artist of his day. Gray's Anatomy was written as a guide for students to allow them to apply informed anatomical knowledge to practical surgery. It is still valid today as the day it was written. The numerous original illustrations inform and explain the text.