All these appearances, and many others, to be noted in the course of dissection, if rightly weighed, seem clearly to illustrate and fully to confirm the truth contended for throughout these pages, and at the same time to stand in opposition to the vulgar opinion; for it would be very difficult to explain in any other way to what purpose all is constructed and arranged as we have seen it to be. AN ANATOMICAL DISQUISITION ON THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD TO JOHN RIOLAN, Jun., of Paris A MOST SKILFUL PHYSICIAN; THE CORYPHÆUS OF ANATOMISTS REGIUS PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY AND BOTANY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS; DEAN OF THE SAME UNIVERSITY AND FIRST PHYSICIAN TO THE QUEEN MOTHER OF LOUIS XIII. BY WILLIAM HARVEY, AN ENGLISHMAN PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY AND SURGERY IN THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON; AND PRINCIPAL PHYSICIAN TO HIS MOST SERENE MAJESTY THE KING. CAMBRIDGE, 1649. THE FIRST ANATOMICAL DISQUISITION ON THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD, ADDRESSED TO JO. RIOLAN Some few months ago there appeared a small anatomical and pathological work from the pen of the celebrated Riolanus, for which, as sent to me by the author himself, I return him my grateful thanks.[35] I also congratulate this author on the highly laudable undertaking in which he has engaged. To demonstrate the seats of all diseases is a task that can only be achieved under favour of the highest abilities; for surely he enters on a difficult province who proposes to bring under the cognizance of the eyes those diseases which almost escape the keenest understanding. But such efforts become the prince of anatomists; for there is no science which does not spring from preexisting knowledge, and no certain and definite idea which has not derived its origin from the senses. Induced therefore by the subject itself, and the example of so distinguished an individual, which makes me think lightly of the labour, I also intend putting to press my Medical Anatomy, or Anatomy in its Application to Medicine. Not with the purpose, like Riolanus, of indicating the seats of diseases from the bodies of healthy subjects, and discussing the several diseases that make their appearance there, according to the views which others have entertained of them; but that I may relate from the many dissections I have made of the bodies of persons diseased, worn out by serious and strange affections, how and in what way the internal organs were changed in their situation, size, structure, figure, consistency, and other sensible qualities, from their natural forms and appearances, such as they are usually described by anatomists; and in what various and remarkable ways they were affected. For even as the dissection of healthy and well-constituted bodies contributes essentially to the advancement of philosophy and sound physiology, so does the inspection of diseased and cachectic subjects powerfully assist philosophical pathology.