26 / Milestones BCE–1852 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Milestones in knowledge of that a restricted diet “might greatly emotion, stress and anger in symptoms as he was reluctant to BCE–1852 retard the progress” of coronary precipitating coronary death. apply his ear to the chest. heart and vascular disorders heart disease. Hunter himself suffered from angina pectoris and died suddenly 1838 France Louis René Lecanu Palaeolithic era Spain Oldest arteries contained “pneuma” (air or 1677–1761 England Stephen Hales, after a violent argument with a showed that cholesterol was anatomical drawing in El Pindal spirit or soul), which was replaced 1525–1603 Rome, Italy Andrea an English clergyman and scientist, hospital colleague. present in human blood. cave of a mammoth with a dark each time a person breathed; when Cesalpino noted that the first measured blood pressure by smudge at the shoulder, which is an artery was cut, blood rushed in circulation system is a closed inserting a brass tube into the 1785 England William Withering 1841 Austria Carl Von Rokitansky thought to represent the heart. as the pneuma escaped. system, and was the first in artery of a horse. This was a described the use of digitalis in championed the thrombogenic modern times to coin the term scientific experiment, published in coronary heart disease in his theory, proposing that deposits 2698–2598 BCE China Huang Ti, 131–201 CE “blood circulation”. 1733, demonstrating that the heart monograph An Account of the observed in the inner layer of the the Yellow Emperor, was Graeco-Roman exerts pressure in order to pump Foxglove. Foxglove had been used arterial wall derived primarily thousands of years ahead of his physician 1553–1619 Padua, Italy blood. The horse died. for centuries by American Indians. from fibrin and other blood time in writing in Nei Ching Claudius Galen, Hieronymus Fabricius elements rather than being the (Canon of Medicine): “The blood with knowledge demonstrated valves in veins, 1745–1827 Italy Alessandro Volta 1791 Italy result of a purulent process. This current flows continuously in a gained from which help to “prevent dilatation discovered that electric energy was Luigi Galvani theory came under attack from circle without a beginning or end animals killed of veins”. produced by heart muscle discovered that Rudolf Virchow. and never stops” and “all the blood by Roman contractions. electrical is under control of the heart”. He gladiators, 1555 Padua, stimulation of a 1843 J. Vogel showed that also recorded the association described the heart and the Italy Andreas 1749–1832 England Edward frog’s heart led to cholesterol was present in between salt intake and a movement of blood in the arteries, Vesalius Jenner, better know for smallpox contraction of the atherosclerotic plaques. “hardened pulse”. but claimed that the liver was the (1514–1564) vaccine, made the essential link cardiac muscle. centre of the circulation and that stated that the between angina pectoris and 1844 Denmark 1550 BCE Egypt Papyrus Ebers the blood passed from the right to heart, and not disease of the coronary arteries. 1799 England Caleb Hillier found First pathology stated that after death the heart the left side of the heart. the liver, was something hard and gritty in the report of plaque becomes the witness of the body’s the centre of the 1752–1832 Italy Antonio Scarpa coronary arteries during an rupture in a behaviour during life. To avoid 980–1037 Persia Avicenna circulation. described arterial aneurysm. autopsy and “well remembered coronary artery incriminating testimony, the (Ibn Sina) stated that the heart is looking up to the ceiling, which in Bertel Egyptians buried the heart located centrally to all organs of 1559 Italy Riva di Trento 1772 England was old and crumbling, conceiving Thorvaldsen, separately from the body. the body, and that the left side of discovered that there are two William Heberden that some plaster had fallen down”. the celebrated the heart was created as a store of coronary arteries, each supplying (1710–1801) He discovered, however, that the neoclassical

600 BCE Greece Alcmaeon noted spirit and soul. blood to half of the heart. described angina vessels had hardened, and stated Danish artist and sculptor, who empty arteries in animals after pectoris: “they who that “a principle cause of the died of sudden cardiac death in the death and inferred that arteries 1210–1288 Syria Ibn al-Nafis 1628 England William Harvey are afflicted with it, syncope anginosa is to be looked Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. normally contained air. described the pulmonary and (1578–1657), a physician, are seized while for in disordered coronary coronary circulation in published his thesis that the heart they are walking (especially if it be arteries”. 1850 Ventricular fibrillation first 400 BCE Greece The Perfect Man. pumped blood around the body, uphill, and soon after eating) with a described. Hippocrates, in De Motu Cordis. painful and most disagreeable 1815 England London surgeon the Father of 1452–1519 Italy Leonardo da Vinci sensation in the breast, which seems Joseph Hodgson claimed 1850s Ophthalmoscope invented, Medicine incorrectly drew the liver as the mid-1600s Switzerland as if it would extinguish life if it inflammation was the underlying allowing direct visualization of (460–370 BCE), centre of circulation. But he stated Jacob Wepfer found that patients were to increase or to continue; but cause of atherosclerosis and it was arteries at the back of the eye. challenged the “vessels in the elderly through the who died with “apoplexy” had the moment they stand still, all this not a natural degenerative part of belief that thickening of the tunics, restrict bleeding in the brain. He also uneasiness vanishes”. He was also the ageing process. 1852 England Fatty material in the illness was the transit of the blood.” This is discovered that a blockage in one the first to write about coronary arteries described by Sir caused by the one of the earliest descriptions of of the brain’s blood vessels could hyperlipidaemia as a risk factor 1815 France M.E. Chevreul named Richard Quain, which he gods; he arteriosclerosis. cause apoplexy. when he noticed that the serum of the fatty substance extracted from attributed to nutrition. He linked believed illness was caused by an an obese patient who suddenly died gallstones “cholesterol” from the the fatty heart to “languid and imbalance of the four bodily 1509–1553 Spain Michael Servetus 1706 France Anatomy professor was “thick like cream”. Greek “khole” (bile) and “stereos” feeble circulation, a sense of humours: yellow bile, black bile, described the pulmonary Raymond de Vieussens first (solid). uneasiness and oppression in the blood, and phlegm. He was also circulation in his book described the structure of the 1775 Scotland John Hunter (1728– chest, embarrassment and distress the first to recognize stroke. Christianismi Restitutio. heart’s chambers and vessels. 1793), a surgical pathologist, 1819 France Rene Theophile in breathing, coma, syncope, wrote “in a sudden and violent Laennec (1781–1826), invented angina pectoris, sudden death…” 310–250 BCE Egypt Erasistratus 1510–1559 Padua, Italy Matteo 1712–1780 England John Fothergill transport of anger, he fell down the stethoscope. He rolled paper described the heart, veins, arteries Realdo Colombo described the both forecast the role of and expired immediately”, into a cylinder while examining a and valves, but claimed that heart valves. psychosocial factors and advised illustrating the importance of young woman with cardiac 76 77