1628 CE · Europe · Medicine
William Harvey argued from experiment and anatomy that the heart pumps blood through a continuous circulation rather than the body continually making and consuming it.
Atlas dossier · Early Modern WorldFree device narration · synchronized English captions · transcript available
Why it matters
Harvey published De motu cordis in 1628 after years of anatomical observation and experiments. His account challenged the established explanation that blood was produced in the liver. Contemporary responses were mixed: publishing an argument and securing its acceptance were different stages.
Royal College of Physicians: Harvey’s experiments in circulation ↗A visual presentation accompanying this entry. Read each image’s attribution to distinguish archival records, later depictions and reconstructions.
Enlarge and examine the pictureRights-cleared archival or official image · CC BY 4.0
Portrait of William Harvey (1578 - 1657), surgeon Wellcome M0015499.jpg — William Faithorne; CC BY 4.0; via Wikimedia Commons
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Enlarge and examine the pictureRights-cleared archival or official image · CC BY 4.0
'De Motu Cordis', by William Harvey, Frankfurt, Germany, 162 Wellcome L0060483.jpg — Wikimedia Commons contributor; CC BY 4.0; via Wikimedia Commons
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Enlarge and examine the pictureRights-cleared archival or official image · Public domain
Human circulatory system and Dr. William Harvey..JPG — Harvey, William, 1578-1657.; Public domain; via Wikimedia Commons
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This dossier distinguishes the event’s basic chronology from later arguments about meaning, responsibility and legacy. When comparing religious, national, Indigenous or scholarly interpretations, consult the primary and institutional sources above alongside peer-reviewed historical work.
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