THE GROWTH OF TRUTH 33 



these be modern discoveries or derived from old founda- 

 tions is disputed; nay, it is so too, whether they are 

 true or no ; for though reason may seem to favour them 

 more than the contrary opinions, yet sense can hardly 

 allow them, and to satisfy mankind both these must con- 

 cur. But if they are true, yet these two great discoveries 

 have made no change in the conclusions of Astronomy 

 nor in the practice of Physic, and so have been but little 

 use to the world, though, perhaps, of much honour to 

 the authors.' 1 It is pleasant to notice that our old friend, 

 Sir Thomas Browne, with his love of paradox, declared 

 that he preferred the circulation of the blood to the 

 discovery of America. 



Of the reception of Harvey's views in Holland and 

 Germany there is nothing to add to the admirable 

 account given by Willis. The early and strenuous 

 advocacy of Descartes must have influenced the Dutch 

 physicians ; but in this, as in so many other things, the 

 infection of his early years proved too powerful, and he 

 could not get rid of the ' ancient spirits '. Of the dis- 

 covery of the circulation he says 2 it is ' la plus belle et la 

 plus utile que Ton put faire en medecine '. ' Tout a fait 

 contraire au sein (sic) touchant le mouvement du cceur/ 

 which he held to be due to an ebullition of the spirits 

 a sort of ferment (espece de levain) existing in it. Much 

 more actively discussed in Holland than elsewhere, the 

 writings of Drake, Walaeus, Regius, Plempius, Sylvius, 

 de Bach, Conringius, T. Bartholini (the Dane), and 

 others threshed out the whole question very thoroughly, 

 and their views, with those of Hoffman, Slegel, and 

 others, are referred to by Willis and given in greater 

 detail by Riolan. 3 



1 Works, 1814, vol. iii, p. 293. 2 Cousins's edition, vol. ix, p. 159. 

 1 Opuscula Anatotnica, London, 1649. 

 C 



