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Ann Thorac Surg 2001;71:1399
© 2001 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Correspondence

The true father of circulation: Harvey or Hippocrates?

^a Division of Cardiology, George Washington University Medical Center, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA

To the Editor

I read with interest the recent exchange of letters between Roberts [1] and Cartier [2] regarding William Harvey. The brilliant proof by William Harvey of continuous blood circulation within a contained system was the 17th century’s most important achievement in physiology, medicine, and cardiology. But Harvey (1578–1657) had had precursors [3] such as Michael Servetus (1511–1553), Matteo Realdo Colombo (1516?–1559), and Andrea Cesalpino (1519–1603). Cesalpino was the first to use the expression "circulation" [3].

Actually, the first suggestion that blood flows in a circle can be found in the writings of Hippocrates (460–c. 375 BC) [4]. The following paragraph from the Hippocratic Corpus [5] appears to substantiate this premise:

The vessels communicate with one another and the blood flows from one to another. I do not know where the commencement is to be found, for in a circle you can find neither commencement nor end, but from the heart the arteries take their origin and through the vessel, the blood is distributed to all the body, to which it gives warmth and life; they are the sources of human nature and are like rivers that purl through the body and supply the human body with life; the heart and the vessels are perpetually moving, and we may compare the movement of the blood with courses of rivers returning to their sources after a passage through numerous channels.

This paragraph not only demonstrates a loop concept but, in the analogy of "courses of rivers returning to their sources after a passage through numerous channels," it also provides a concept of the microscopic anatomy of the capillaries [4].

References

1. Roberts C.S. Harvey’s experiment on occlusion of the vena cava. Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:1983.[Free Full Text]
2. Cartier R. Reply. Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:1983.
3. Lyons A.S., Petrucelli R.J., II Medicine, an illustrated history. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1978.
4. Acierno L.J. The history of cardiology. New York: Parthenon, 1994.
5. Wiberg J. The medical science of ancient Greece: the doctrine of the heart. Janus 1937;41:225-254.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. O. Cheng Who Discovered Circulation of Blood? Ann Intern Med, May 15, 2001; 134(10): 1008 - 1009. [Full Text] [PDF]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cheng, T. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cheng, T. O. Related Collections History