ABSTRACT
The concept of the circulation of blood around the body was first described by W Harvey in De Motu Cordis in 1628. Because of it he was regarded as a virtual heretic and lost much of his private practice. Prior to Harvey it was thought that blood ebbed and flowed from the heart conveying vital and natural spirits. All this dated back to Galen in the second century who formed this view predominantly from animal dissection. Post-mortems on humans were forbidden by Roman regulations at this time.
