Editor's Introduction xvii 



physicians ; but by the younger scientific men it was 

 by no means received with disfavour. Amongst the 

 latter was the philosopher Descartes, whose name was 

 then a power in Europe. The philosophical, yet keenly 

 practical mind of Descartes grasped the discovery with 

 avidity and supported it with ardour. In his celebrated 

 " Discours de la Methode," l he refers to the discovery of 

 " an English physician," and describes with enthusiasm 

 the anatomy and use of the heart. Although we have 

 no certain information on the point it is quite possible 

 that Descartes may have known Harvey, for in the year 

 1631 he is said to have paid a visit to England; and 

 in his second reply to Riolan Harvey refers to " the 

 ingenious and acute Descartes," and says the honourable 

 mention of his name demands his acknowledgments. 

 Thus the discovery became widely known and largely 

 adopted. 



One result of the publication of his discovery was 

 only in keeping with the experience of many great and 

 original minds before and after his time. In the things 

 of this world his discovery was of little service to him. 

 His practice fell off. Patients feared to put themselves 

 under the care of one who was accused by his envious 

 detractors of being crack-brained, and of putting forward 

 new-fangled and dangerous doctrines. One who knew 

 Harvey writes as follows : " I have heard him say that 

 after his booke of the Circulation of the Blood came 

 out he fell mightily in his practice, and 'twas believed 

 by the vulgar that he was crack-brained, and all the 

 physitians were against him, with much adoe at last in 

 about 20 or 30 years time it was received in all the 

 universities in the world, and as Mr. Hobbs says in 

 his book * De Corpore,' he is the only man perhaps that 

 ever lived to see his own doctrine established in his 

 lifetime." 2 



There was one striking exception to this treatment. 



1 First published at Leyden in 4to, 1637. 



2 John Aubrey, " Lives and Letters of Eminent Persons," London, 1813. 



