WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In Medicine’s 10 Greatest Discoveries, which I co-authored with cardiologist Meyer Friedman, we stated that William Harvey’s discovery of the function of the heart and the circulation of blood was the greatest medical discovery of all time.

Detailed explanation-2: -He thus concluded that the blood in the veins always flowed toward the heart (To be continued…). Figure 2. A figure from De Motu Cordis illustrating the method used by Harvey to determine the direction of blood flow in the veins of the forearm.

Detailed explanation-3: -Harvey’s theory of circulation was opposed by conservative physicians, but it was well established by the time of his death. It is likely that Harvey actually made his discovery of the circulation about 1618–19.

Detailed explanation-4: -Best known for: William Harvey was the first person to correctly describe blood’s circulation in the body. He showed that arteries and veins form a complete circuit that starts at the heart and leads back to the heart.

Detailed explanation-5: -Introduction. As the story is often told, William Harvey (1578-1657), the English physician who discovered the circulation of the blood, single-handedly dismantled ancient medicine and ushered in a new era of modern medicine.