William Harvey

William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart.

Early Life and Education

Harvey was born in Folkestone, Kent on 1 April 1578. He was the eldest of nine children of Thomas Harvey, a jurat of Folkestone and his wife Joane Hawke. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury and then at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1597 and then travelled to Padua to study medicine, where he graduated in 1602.

Career

After his graduation, Harvey established himself in London, joining the Royal College of Physicians on 5 October 1604. He became a fellow of the college in 1607 and later served as censor. He was appointed physician extraordinary to James I on 3 February 1618 and physician in ordinary to Charles I on 13 August 1632. He was also physician to St Bartholomew's Hospital from 1609 until 1643.

Discoveries and Contributions

Harvey's most significant contribution to medical science was his discovery of the circulation of blood. He published his findings in Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus in 1628. In this work, he demonstrated that the heart functioned as a pump, pushing blood around the body in a continuous cycle.

Death and Legacy

Harvey died in Roehampton on 3 June 1657. His contributions to medicine have been widely recognised and he is considered one of the most important figures in the history of medicine.

See Also

• History of medicine
• Anatomy
• Physiology

External Links

• Britannica Biography: William Harvey

William Harvey Resources
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