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Wiliam HarveyEnglish physician, scientist who laid the foundations of modern physiology and embryology
Date of Birth: 01.04.1578
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of William Harvey
- Early Life and Education
- Studies in Padua
- Medical Career and Contributions
- Later Life and Legacy
- William Harvey passed away in London on June 3, 1657.
Biography of William Harvey
William Harvey was an English physician and scientist who laid the foundations for modern physiology and embryology. He was also the founder of the modern theory of blood circulation, which challenged the prevailing beliefs of the time and faced criticism from both the scientific and religious communities.
Early Life and Education
In 1588, William Harvey enrolled at the King's School in Canterbury, where he studied Latin. In May 1593, he was admitted to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and received a medical scholarship established by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1572. During his first three years of study, Harvey focused on disciplines relevant to medicine, such as classical languages, rhetoric, philosophy, and mathematics. He had a particular interest in philosophy, and it is evident from his subsequent works that Aristotle's natural philosophy had a significant influence on his development as a scientist. In the following three years, Harvey studied subjects directly related to medicine, which at the time primarily involved reading and discussing the works of ancient authors like Hippocrates and Galen. Anatomical demonstrations were occasionally conducted, with natural science professors being required to perform them every winter. Additionally, Gonville and Caius College had permission to conduct dissections of executed criminals twice a year. In 1597, Harvey obtained his bachelor's degree, and in October 1599, he left Cambridge.
Studies in Padua
The exact date of Harvey's first visit to Padua is unknown, but by 1600, he already held the position of "warden" – the representative of English students in the University of Padua. The medical school in Padua was renowned at the time, and anatomical studies flourished under the guidance of Girolamo Fabricius, who initially held the chair of surgery and later became the professor of anatomy and embryology. Fabricius was a student and follower of Gabriele Falloppio. When Harvey arrived in Padua, Fabricius was already elderly, and although most of his works had been written, not all of them had been published. His most significant work, "On the Venous Valves" (De venarum osteolis), was published in the first year of Harvey's stay in Padua, but Fabricius had been demonstrating these valves to students as early as 1578. Although Fabricius himself noticed that their entrances were always open towards the heart, he did not recognize the connection to blood circulation. Fabricius' work undoubtedly influenced Harvey, as did his books "On the Mature Fetus" (De formato foetu, 1604) and "On the Formation of the Egg and Chick" (De formatione ovi et pulli, 1619).
Medical Career and Contributions
On April 25, 1602, Harvey completed his education, received a Doctor of Medicine degree, and returned to London. The degree was recognized by the University of Cambridge, but it did not grant him the right to practice medicine. The license was issued by the College of Physicians, which Harvey approached in 1603. He passed the examinations in the spring of the same year and was allowed to practice until the next examination, which was scheduled for a year later, as he answered all the questions satisfactorily. Harvey appeared before the examiners three times and was admitted as a member of the College on October 5, 1604. In 1607, he became a fellow of the College of Physicians and two years later applied to be a physician at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Working at this hospital was considered prestigious for a practicing physician, so Harvey supported his request with letters from the College's president, other members, and even the king himself. The hospital administration agreed to accept him once a position became available. On October 14, 1609, Harvey was officially appointed to the staff. His responsibilities included visiting the hospital at least twice a week, examining patients, and prescribing medications. Sometimes, patients were also sent to his home. For twenty years, Harvey fulfilled his duties as a hospital physician while expanding his private practice in London. He also worked at the College of Physicians and conducted his own experimental research. In 1613, Harvey was elected as a censor of the College, and two years later, he became the lecturer for Lumleian Lectures. These lectures were established in 1581 by Lord Lumley to enhance medical education in London. At the time, education mainly consisted of attending public dissections of executed criminals, which were conducted four times a year by the College of Physicians and the Company of Barber-Surgeons. During the Lumleian Lectures, the lecturer had to give an hour-long lecture twice a week throughout the year, ensuring that students completed a comprehensive course in anatomy, surgery, and medicine within six years. Harvey held this position for forty-one years. He also gave lectures on anatomy at the College, and his lecture notes from April 16, 17, and 18, 1616, titled "Outlines of Lectures on General Anatomy" (Prelectiones Anatomiae Universalis), are preserved in the British Museum.
In 1628, Harvey's work "An Anatomical Study on the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals" (Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus) was published in Frankfurt. In this work, he formulated his theory of blood circulation for the first time and provided experimental evidence to support it. By measuring the volume of systolic contraction, the heart rate, and the total amount of blood in a sheep's body, Harvey demonstrated that the entire blood supply must pass through the heart in two minutes and, within thirty minutes, an amount of blood equivalent to the animal's weight circulates through it. This led to the conclusion that, contrary to Galen's assertion that the heart receives continuously replenished portions of blood from organs producing it, blood returns to the heart through a closed loop. The capillaries, the tiniest vessels connecting arteries and veins, ensure the closed nature of the circulation.
In early 1631, Harvey became the physician-in-chief of King Charles I. Intrigued by Harvey's research, the king granted him access to the royal hunting grounds in Windsor and Hampton Court for conducting experiments. In May 1633, Harvey accompanied Charles I during his visit to Scotland. It is possible that it was during this time in Edinburgh that Harvey visited Bass Rock, a nesting site for gannets and other wild birds. At the time, he was interested in the problem of embryonic development in birds and mammals.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Battle of Edgehill in 1642 during the English Civil War, Harvey followed the king to Oxford. There, he resumed his medical practice and continued his observations and experiments. In 1645, the king appointed Harvey as the Dean of Merton College. In June 1646, Oxford was besieged and captured by Cromwell's supporters, and Harvey returned to London. Little is known about his activities and circumstances of life over the next few years. In 1646, Harvey published two anatomical essays, "Study of Blood Circulation" (Exercitationes duae de circulatione sanguinis), in Cambridge, and in 1651, his second fundamental work, "Studies on Generation" (Exercitationes de generatione animalium), was released. It summarized Harvey's many years of research on the embryonic development of invertebrates and vertebrates and formulated the theory of epigenesis. Harvey argued that the egg was the common principle of all animals, and all living beings originated from eggs. Harvey's research in embryology provided a powerful stimulus for the development of theoretical and practical midwifery.
From 1654 onward, Harvey lived in his brother's house in London or in the suburb of Roehampton. He was elected as the president of the College of Physicians but declined the honorary position, citing his advanced age.
