310 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1669. 



College of Physicians; in which treatise the author endeavours to show, that 

 milk, or something analogous to it, is the universal nourishment of all living 

 creatures, and the immediate and whole matter of blood; whence, and from the 

 three parts thereof, viz. the butyraceous, serous, and caseous, and their vari 

 ous concoction in the stomach, and constitution in the veins, he would deduce 

 the different nature of the humours and spirits composing the blood ; as from 

 the different quantity and quality of these he would derive the whole business 

 of health and sickness, and the method of cure. 



But as to the observations made by Dr. Harvey upon the person and dissec- 

 tion of Thomas Parr, it is noted: 



' (as appears upon calculation), and as moreover the arteries cannot receive blood through any other 

 channel but the veins 3 it follows either tliat the veins must be quickly emptied, and the arteries on 

 the contrary every moment more and more distended, which however is not the case : or that the 

 blood must flow back again from the arteries into the veins, by certain secret passages, or by pores of 

 the flesh, or by mutual anastomoses of the arteries and veins. He demonstrates tliat the last-mentioned 

 conmiunication takes place in tlie lungs. Again ; as along the course of the arteries more blood is 

 sent from the heart to all parts of the body than is necessary for the nourishment of those parts, he 

 infers tliat the superfluous blood is returned by the veins (that they may not be left empty) from this 

 fact, tliat no blood is found in the veins if the great artery be tied. On the other hand, if a ligature 

 be passed round the vena cava at the place where it joins the right auricle, it will immediately be- 

 come distended in a very surprising manner. Moreover, it must be evident to every one (he ob- 

 serves) who considers the situation and connexion of the valves, that the blood passes from the smaller 

 branches of the veins into their tmnks, and from thence to the heart. The true movement of the 

 blood being thus discovered, Harvey was enabled through it to account for tlie distribution of nourish- 

 ment and warmth to every part of the body, and to throw great light upon many obscure points re- 

 lative to tlie animal oeconomy, botli in health and disease. No doctrine could be supported by proofs 

 more simple aud decisive : nevertheless tliey were disputed by several of his contemporaries, and 

 particularly by Riolan, to whom he made an able reply. Otliers, instead of combating the truth of 

 his discovery, endeavoured to rob him of the merit of it, by pretending that it was known to Aris- 

 totle and Galen among tlie ancients, and to Servetus, Columbus and Ccesalpinus among tlie moderns. 

 Some indeed of the last mentioned authors had made considerable progress towards a just concep- 

 tion of the blood's motion, intermingled, however, witli the errors imbibed from the ancients above- 

 mentioned ; but none of the passages quoted from their writings show that they taught or under- 

 stood that the blood moved in a regular uninterrupted course from the heart to the arteries, and 

 from them through the veins back again to the heart. As for what relates to tlie story of Pauli of 

 Venice having been acquainted with the circulation of the blood before Harvey published his account 

 of it ; this circumstance has been cleared up in Dr. Clarck's letter, inserted in the preceding part of 

 this Abridgement, p. 248. Thus does our countryman, the immortal Harvey, remain in full pos- 

 session of the honour of a discovery wliicli has led to elucidations of some of the most important 

 phaenomena of animal life, and is the main clue by which we have been conducted to a more accurate 

 knowledge of diseased actions, and to more simple as well as more rational modes of counteracting tliem. 

 Harvey was bom at Folkstone in Kent in 1S78, and died in 1(558, having completed his SOtliyear. 

 The London College of Physicians published his works in 4to, 1766. Among tliese his Exercitatio 

 de Generatione Animal, holds the next place after his treatise on tlie heart and circulation above-noticed. 



