Used with
permission of Maiken Naylor, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA,
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/sel/exhibits/stamps
William Harvey (1578-1657) was an English physician who had studied in Padua. He discovered the mechanisms of circulation of blood and the action of the heart and its various chambers. Considering the sheer volume of blood in the body, Harvey did not expect it could constantly be generated by the liver, as previously supposed. He explored the functioning of veins and arteries and laid to rest many other erroneous beliefs held since the time of Galen. His studies of embryos and chicks in the egg produced insights into the development of organs and limbs in the fetus.