THE FIRST ANATOMICAL DISQUISITION ON THE CIRCULA- 

 TION OF THE BLOOD, ADDRESSED TO JO. RIOLAN. 



SOME few months ago there appeared a small anatomical and 

 pathological work from the pen of the celebrated Biolanus, for 

 which, as sent to me by the author himself, I return him my 

 grateful thanks. 1 I also congratulate this author on the 

 highly laudable undertaking in which he has engaged. To 

 demonstrate the seats of all diseases is a task that can only be 

 achieved under favour of the highest abilities ; for surely he 

 enters on a difficult province who proposes to bring under the 

 cognizance of the eyes those diseases which almost escape the 

 keenest understanding. But such efforts become the prince of 

 anatomists ; for there is no science which does not spring from 

 preexisting knowledge, and no certain and definite idea which 

 has not derived its origin from the senses. Induced therefore 

 by the subject itself, and the example of so distinguished an 

 individual, which makes me think lightly of the labour, I 

 also intend putting to press my Medical Anatomy, or Anatomy 

 in its Application to Medicine. Not with the purpose, like 

 Riolanus, of indicating the seats of diseases from the bodies 

 of healthy subjects, and discussing the several diseases that 

 make their appearance there, according to the views which 

 others have entertained of them ; but that I may relate from 

 the many dissections I have made of the bodies of persons dis- 

 eased, worn out by serious and strange affections, how and in 

 what way the internal organs were changed in their situation, 

 size, structure, figure, consistency, and other sensible qualities, 

 from their natural forms and appearances, such as they are 

 usually described by anatomists; and in what various and re- 

 markable ways they were affected. For even as the dissection 



1 Encheiridiuni Anatomicum et Pathologicum. 12mo, Parisiis, 1648. 



