Biologist William Harvey and his contribution to medicine

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

William Harvey (years of life - 1578-1657) - English physician and naturalist. He was born in Folkestone on April 1, 1578. His father was a successful merchant. William was the eldest son in the family, and therefore the main heir. However, unlike his brothers, William Harvey was completely indifferent to the prices of fabrics. Biology did not immediately interest him, but he quickly realized that he was weary of talking to the captains of chartered ships. So Harvey happily accepted his studies at Canterbury College.

Below are portraits of such a great physician as William Harvey. These photos refer to different years of his life, the portraits were made by different artists. Unfortunately, there were no cameras at that time, so we can only roughly imagine what W. Harvey looked like.

Training period

In 1588, William Harvey, whose biography still interests many today, entered the Royal School, located in Canterbury. Here he began to study Latin. In May 1593 he was admitted to Keyes College of the renowned Cambridge University. He received a scholarship in the same year (it was establishedArchbishop of Canterbury in 1572). Harvey devoted the first 3 years of study to "disciplines useful to the doctor." These are classical languages (Greek and Latin), philosophy, rhetoric and mathematics. William was particularly interested in philosophy. It can be seen from his writings that Aristotle's natural philosophy had a very great influence on the development of William Harvey as a scientist.

The next 3 years, William studied disciplines that relate directly to medicine. Education in Cambridge at that time was reduced mainly to reading and discussing the works of Galen, Hippocrates and other ancient authors. Sometimes anatomical demonstrations were arranged for students. They were obliged to spend every winter a teacher of natural sciences. Keys College has been authorized twice a year to perform autopsies on criminals who have been executed. Harvey in 1597 received the title of bachelor. He left Cambridge in October 1599

Travel

At the age of 20, burdened with the "truths" of medieval logic and natural philosophy, having become a rather educated person, he still knew practically nothing. Harvey was drawn to the natural sciences. Intuitively, he understood that they would give scope to his sharp mind. In accordance with the custom of young people of that time, William Harvey went on a five-year journey. He wanted to establish himself in distant countries in his timid and vague attraction to medicine. And William went first to France, and then to Germany.

Visit Padua

The exact date of William's first visit to Padua is unknown (someresearchers attribute it to 1598), but in 1600 he was already the "headman" - representative (elected position) of students from England at the University of Padua. At that time, the local medical school was at the height of its glory. Anatomical research flourished in Padua thanks to J. Fabricius, a native of Aquapendente, who first occupied the chair of surgery, and later the chair of embryology and anatomy. Fabricius was a follower and student of G. Fallopius.

Introduction to the achievements of J. Fabricius

When William Harvey arrived in Padua, J. Fabricius was already at a venerable age. Most of his works were written, although not all of them were published. His most significant work is considered "On the venous valves". It was published in the first year of Harvey's stay in Padua. However, as early as 1578, Fabricius demonstrated these valves to students. Although he himself showed that the entrances to them are always open in the direction of the heart, he did not see in this fact a connection with the blood circulation. The work of Fabricius had a great influence on William Harvey, in particular, on his books On the Development of the Egg and Chicken (1619) and On the Ripe Fruit (1604).

Own experiments

William thought about the role these valves play. However, for a scientist, reflection alone is not enough. An experiment was needed. And William began with an experiment on himself. Bandaging his hand, he found that it soon became numb below the bandage, the skin darkened, and the veins swelled. Then Harvey putexperiment on a dog, which he bandaged both legs with a lace. And again, the legs below the bandages began to swell, the veins swelled. When he cut a swollen vein in his leg, dark, thick blood dripped from the cut. Then Harvey cut a vein in the other leg, but now above the bandage. Not a single drop of blood came out. It is clear that the vein below the ligation is filled with blood, but there is no blood in it above the ligation. It was self-explanatory what that might mean. However, Harvey was in no hurry with him. As a researcher, he was very careful and carefully checked his observations and experiments, not rushing to draw conclusions.

Return to London, admission to practice

Harvey in 1602, April 25, completed his education, becoming a doctor of medicine. He returned to London. This degree was recognized by the University of Cambridge, which, however, did not mean that William was qualified to practice medicine. At that time, licenses for it were issued by the College of Physicians. In 1603, Harvey turned there. In the spring of the same year, he took exams and answered all questions "quite satisfactorily." He was allowed to practice until the next exam, which was to be taken in a year. Harvey appeared before the commission three times.

Working at St. Bartholomew's Hospital

In 1604, on October 5, he was accepted as a member of the College. And three years later, William became a full member. In 1609, he petitioned to be admitted to St. Bartholomew's Hospital as a physician. At that time, it was considered very prestigious for a medical practitioner to work inthis hospital, so Harvey supported his request with letters from the president of the College, as well as some of its members and even the king. The hospital management agreed to accept him as soon as there was a free place. In 1690, October 14, William was officially enrolled in her staff. He had to visit the hospital at least 2 times a week, examine patients and prescribe medicines for them. Patients were sometimes sent to his house. William Harvey worked in this hospital for 20 years, despite the fact that his London private practice was constantly expanding. In addition, he continued his activities in the College of Physicians, and also carried out his own experimental research.

Speech at the Lamlian Readings

William Harvey in 1613 was elected to the post of superintendent of the College of Physicians. And in 1615 he began to act as a lecturer at the Lamlian readings. They were chartered by Lord Lumley in 1581. The purpose pursued by these readings was to raise the level of medical education in the city of London. All education at that time was reduced to the presence at the autopsy of the bodies of criminals who were executed. These public autopsies were organized 4 times a year by the Society of Barbers-Surgeons and the College of Physicians. The lecturer speaking at the Lamlian readings had to give an hour lecture twice a week during the year so that students could complete a full course in surgery, anatomy and medicine in 6 years. William Harvey, whose contribution to biology was invaluable, performed this duty for 41 years. At the same time, he also spoke at the College. At the British Museumtoday there is a manuscript of Harvey's notes for the lectures he gave on April 16, 17 and 18 in 1616. It's called Lecture Notes on General Anatomy.

Theory of blood circulation by W. Harvey

In Frankfurt in 1628, William's work "Anatomical study of the movement of the heart and blood in animals" was published. In it, William Harvey first formulated his own theory of blood circulation, and also cited experimental evidence in its favor. The contribution to medicine made by him was very important. William measured the total amount of blood, heart rate and systolic volume in the body of a sheep and proved that all the blood in two minutes must pass through its heart, and in 30 minutes an amount of blood equal to the weight of the animal passes. This meant that, contrary to what Galen said about the flow of more and more portions of blood to the heart from the organs that produce it, it returns to the heart in a closed cycle. And capillaries provide closure - the smallest tubes connecting veins and arteries.

William becomes life medic to Charles I

In the beginning of 1631, William Harvey became the life physician of Charles I. The king himself appreciated the contribution to science of this scientist. Charles I became interested in Harvey's research, and provided the royal hunting grounds at Hampton Court and Windsor at the disposal of the scientist. Harvey used them to conduct his experiments. In 1633, in May, William accompanied the king during his visit to Scotland. It is possible that duringWhile in Edinburgh, he visited Bass Rock, where cormorants nested, as well as other wild birds. Harvey at that time was interested in the problem of the development of the embryo of mammals and birds.

Moving to Oxford

In 1642, the Battle of Edgehill took place (an event of the English Civil War). William Harvey went to Oxford for the king. Here he again took up medical practice, and also continued his experiments and observations. Charles I appointed William Dean of Merton College in 1645. Oxford in June 1646 was besieged and taken by the supporters of Cromwell, and Harvey returned to London. Not much is known about the circumstances of his life and his activities over the next few years.

Harvey's New Works

Harvey in 1646 published 2 anatomical essays in Cambridge: "Investigations of the circulation". In 1651, his second fundamental work, en titled "Studies on the Origin of Animals", was also published. It summarized the results of Harvey's research over many years on the embryonic development of vertebrates and invertebrates. He formulated the theory of epigenesis. The egg is the common origin of animals, according to William Harvey. The contributions to science made subsequently by other scientists convincingly refuted this theory, according to which all living things come from an egg. However, for that time, Harvey's achievements were very important. A powerful impetus to the development of practical and theoretical obstetrics was research in embryology, whichcarried out by William Harvey. His achievements ensured his fame not only during his lifetime, but for many years after his death.

Last years of life

Let's briefly describe the last years of this scientist's life. William Harvey lived in London from 1654 at his brother's house (or in the suburbs of Roehampton). He became president of the College of Physicians, but decided to forego the honorary elective office because he felt he was too old for it. On June 3, 1657, William Harvey died in London. His contribution to biology is truly enormous, thanks to him medicine has advanced a lot.