4 PATHFINDERS OF PHYSIOLOGY 



dicta. John Cook, an Englishman, with a scar over the joint of his 

 middle finger. (Matriculated) on the same day, and so on. Harvey 

 evidently did not enter Padua University as a regular matriculant, 

 as no such record occurs on the university register regarding him. 



Fabricius and Harvey Friends — The fame of some of its medical 

 teachers undoubtedly attracted Harvey to Padua. While there he 

 was instructed in anatomy and physiology by Fabricius, one of the 

 most learned scholars of Italy. The fame as anatomist and surgeon 

 "j^ of Fabricus ab Aquapendente (from the name of his birthplace) 

 ^^ phad spread well over Europe. During Harvey's sojourn in Padua he 

 ^^Vand Fabricius became fast friends. At that particular time Fabricius 

 '' >was engaged in perfecting his knowledge of the valves of the veins. 



His idea was that these valves prevented over-distention of the ves- 

 sels when the blood passed from the large to the smaller veins, while 

 they were not required in the arteries because the blood was always 

 in a state of ebb and flow. Harvey, however, pointed out their true 

 importance as anatomical proof of the circulation of the blood. It 

 was not so much what Harvey learned from Fabricius, as the stim- 

 ulus of his friendship that proved of such great assistance to him, 

 for we can see even in the instance quoted his view of the purpose of 

 the valves of the veins was entirely incorrect. 



In 1602, Harvey was graduated M. D. from Padua. His diploma 

 conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Physic, with leave to 

 practice and teach arts and medicine in every land and seat of learn- 

 ing. It further stated, that "he had conducted himself so wonder- 

 fully well in the examination and had shown such skill, memory and 

 learning that he had far surpassed even the greatest hopes which 

 his examiners had formed of him. They decided, therefore, that he 

 was skillful, expert and most efficiently qualified both in arts and 

 medicine, and to this they put their hands unanimously, willingly 

 and with complete agreement and unhesitatingly." The University 

 of Cambridge conferred the degree of M. D. on him the same year. 



Harvey married in 1604, the daughter of Dr. Browne, who was 

 physician to Queen Elizabeth and to James I. 

 nV)***U^ Harvey, as we shall see, excjgU ed as lectu rer. His lectures 

 ^^ — - showed an intimate acquaintance with the anat?nnical structure of 

 more than sixty kinds of animals, as well as a thorough knowledge of 

 human anatomy, which must have taken years of study to acquire. 

 He was elected fellow of the College of Physicians in 1607. An im- 

 portant position which Harvey held was Physician to St. Bartholo- 

 mew's Hospital in 1609. "The charge of the Physician of St. Bar- 

 tholomew's Hospital" required the incumbent to devote at least one 

 day a week throughout the year to charity. He was further enjoined, 

 "not for favour, lucre, or gain, to appoint or write anything for the 

 poor but such good and wholesome things as he shall think with his 

 best advice will do the poor good, without any aff:ection or respect to 

 be had to the apothecary. And he shall take no gift or reward of 

 any of the poor of this house for his ;counsel." This "charge" Har- 

 vey is said to have faithfully observed. 



Anatomical Teaching Previous to 1745 — During Harvey's day 

 and until 1745, the teaching of Anatomy in England was vested in a 

 few corporate bodies. Private teaching was discouraged by fine and 



