HARVEY AND THE CIRCULATION. 235 



whether his eyes had seen aright or not. He dis- 

 tinctly felt the rigidity of the heart when in a state 

 of contraction, and its flaccidity when relaxed ; and 

 thus discovered the muscular state and action *of the 

 heart, which was announced by no other observer be- 

 fore him. The cavities of the heart had been looked 

 upon as passive receptacles for the mixture and inter- 

 change of " spirits " and blood. 



The experiments of Harvey reached the ears of 

 the King, James L, and the rising physician was ap- 

 pointed keeper of the health of royalty. This at 

 once brought Harvey into intimate relations with 

 court people, among whom he had to spend so much 

 time that his anatomical and physiological studies 

 were neglected. However, a love of nature, science 

 and philosophy, such as moved the mind of Harvey, 

 will not be satisfied with the flattery of princes it 

 must go to objects which early kindled it into aflame. 

 In the reign of Charles, which followed that of his 

 father, Harvey was held in the highest esteem by the 

 king. The enthusiastic sovereign went to the labora- 

 tory of Harvey, and viewed with admiration the punctum 

 saliens (leaping or throbbing point) in the embryo 

 chick and the foetal fawn. The king had deer brought 

 from the royal parks, and placed at the disposal of 

 Harvey for experimentation. 



Although doted upon by the king and courtiers, 

 the people at large looked upon Harvey as a crack- 

 brained zealot who must be an unsafe medical adviser. 

 This detraction reached such a pitch after the publi- 

 cation of "Exercises on the Heart and Blood" that the 

 brilliant discoverer and philosopher became somewhat 

 cramped in pecuniary affairs. Rival physicians joined 

 in the detracting cry, and even ridiculed the idea that 



