Harvey and the Tercentenary Celebration of the Royal College Of

[From Crooke: A Description of the Body of Man. London, 1631.] EDITORIALS HARVEY AND THE TERCENTENARY in the collection of Sir Hans Sloane. The CELEBRATION OF THE ROYAL manuscript has had a curious history. COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS For some years it was known to be in the OF LONDON Museum and was frequently studied. It The anniversaries of the births or deaths then mysteriously disappeared and for of famous men are the frequent occasions of many years was given up as lost. In 1876 celebrations in their honor but the celebra- it was found among some duplicate books tion of the date of publication of a book is which the Museum was going to sell. A not so frequent if we except the publication facsimile of the “Notes” was published in of anniversary editions. In 1923 the Ter- 1886 and the original can, of course, be seen centenary of the publication of the First in the British Museum. The notes are Folio of Shakespeare’s works was marked written on both sides of the paper and the by several ceremonial occasions in England leaves are so arranged that additional pages and elsewhere and by the publication of a can be inserted. They are bound in leather. number of books bearing on Shakespeare As Sir D’Arcy Power says, Harvey “wrote and his works. We believe that William so badly and the notes are so full of abbre- Harvey’s book is the first medical work to viations, interlineations, and alterations, be thus honored and it was most appropriate as to render them useless to anyone but the that the greatest function in its honor author.” Harvey probably began his lec- should be organized and held in the Hall of tures on the surgical part of his course in the Royal College of Physicians of London, August, 1615, shortly after his appointment of which he was not only one of the most but his first anatomical lectures were not illustrious Fellows but also one of the given until April, 1616. I will quote but one greatest benefactors. passage which will suffice to show that at In 1607 Harvey became a Fellow of the that time, twelve years before the publication Royal College of Physicians of London and of the “De Motu Cordis,” he had already eight years later he was appointed by it conceived his great idea of the circulation to deliver the Lumleian lectures. The of the blood: lecturer was elected for life and received a It is plain from the structure of the heart salary equal to that paid to the Regius that the blood is passed continuously through Professors at Oxford and Cambridge. The the lungs to the aorta as by the two clacks of a lectures were given twice a week on Wednes- water bellows to raise water. days and Fridays. Each lecture lasted one It is shown by the application of a ligature hour, of which three quarters were to be that the passage of the blood is from the arteries devoted to reading in Latin, and the remain- into the veins. ing quarter in English. The lectures were Whence it follows that the movement of the arranged in cycles and a complete course blood is constantly in a circle, and is brought took six years for its completion. The ori- about by the beat of the heart.1 ginal notes of Harvey’s first course of 1It is interesting to note that these lectures were lectures on anatomy in his own handwriting first delivered by Harvey, Tuesday, Wednesday and are preserved in the Manuscript Depart- Thursday, April 16,17 and 18,1616. On the following ment of the British Museum. They had been Tuesday, April 23, Shakespeare died. In his address to the President and Fel- he was elected Censor, Elect, and Treasurer lows of the College of Physicians which of the College and in 1654 the Fellows chose precedes the text of the “De Motu Cordis,” him to be their President, but he declined Harvey says: the office on the plea of age and ill-health. In his turn he was a most generous bene- I did open many times before, worthy Mr- factor to the College. In 1651 he offered Doctor, my opinion concerning the motion and to erect a building to serve the College as a use of the heart and Circulation of the blood new in my lectures, but being confirm’d by museum and library. When this building ocular demonstration for nine years and more was completed in 1653, Harvey received in your sight, evidenced by reasons and argu- the President and Fellows at a splendid ments, freed from the objections of the most entertainment, at the conclusion of which learned and skilful Anatomists, desired by he turned over to the College the title deeds some, and most earnestly required by others, of his gift. This building was destroyed in we have at last set it out to view in this little the Great Fire in 1666. Book, which, unless it were pass’d through your The celebration of the Tercentenary of hands, I could hardly hope that it would come the “De Motu Cordis” was officially opened abroad entire and safe, since I can call most of on Monday, May 14, when the delegates you, being worthy of credit, as witnesses of were received by the King at Buckingham those observations from which I gather proof Palace. The ceremony was brief but impres- or confute error, who saw many of my Dissec- sive. Sir John Rose Bradford, the President tions, and in the ocular demonstrations of these things which I here assert to the senses of the Royal College of Physicians, read an were used to stand by and assist me. address to which the King replied, and then each delegate in turn was presented to his In this connection it is worthy of note Majesty, and received a cordial handshake. that though we know that Harvey’s work In the afternoon Sir John Rose Bradford awoke great opposition, nevertheless none received the delegates officially in the Hall of his colleagues in the Royal College of of the College. All those attending wore Physicians came out openly against him, their academic robes and these in their notwithstanding the statement made many multiple variety of fashion and color lent a years later by Harvey himself “that no picturesque brilliancy to the scene which man over the age of forty accepted it.” relieved the academic soberness of the Aubrey, the famous but not too reliable occasion. The President of the College, gossip of his time wrote that his practice bearing the caduceus which is his official fell off mightily as it was “believed by the symbol and preceded by the beadle carry- vulgar that he was crackbrained, and all ing a great mace, seated himself in the the physicians were against him.” He was presidential chair and the delegates were also nicknamed the “circulator,” the word presented to him, each one’s name being being used in its old Latin sense signifying a loudly announced as he advanced to present quack. James Primrose, one of his most ma- the address of congratulation to the College lignant opponents, was examined by Harvey from the institution which he represented. when an “Elect” of the College, and Some Honorary Fellowships in the College received his approval for a license to were then conferred, after which Professor practise medicine. There is no reason to Keibel, of Berlin, Professor Chauffard, think that he attended Harvey’s lectures. of Paris and Sir Charles Sherrington read Although Harvey retired from active eulogies of Harvey, and the meeting was practice in 1648 he continued to deliver the adjourned. Lumleian lectures; in 1655 he resigned. The evening was marked by a delightful Harvey was much loved and honored by dinner given to the delegates by the Master the Fellows of the College. At various times and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Grocers in their splendid Hall, and by an and an official residence in West Smithfield “At Home” at Lady Bradford’s. for which the holder paid a rent to the On Tuesday morning, May 15, a most Governors of the hospital. Dr. Harvey did interesting series of demonstrations showing not occupy the property, probably because the mechanism of the circulation were given his own house was in Ludgate near the at University College by various members hospital; the Governors in lieu thereof of the staff, and a film, prepared by Sir increased his salary to £33 6s. 8d. Thomas Lewis and Dr. H. H. Dale, As an indication of the closeness of Har- was exhibited illustrating the experiments vey’s relation with King Charles 1 we find performed by Harvey by which he was able that on October 15, 1633, the Governors to prove his theory of the circulation of the passed the following resolution: blood. This most beautiful moving picture And forasmuch as Dr. Harvey, the now physi- was greatly appreciated by all who were cian to this hospital, is also chosen to be privileged to see it and the hope was physician to his Majesty, and (is) thereby tied generally expressed that an arrangement to daily service and attendance on his Majesty. might be brought about by which it would It hath been thought fit and so ordered, that be rendered available to other institutions there shall be for this present occasion two for teaching purposes. Only the hands of physicians for this hospital. And that Dr. the experimenter were visible in the picture Andrewes, physician in reversion, be now admitted to be also an immediate physician to as he proceeded to lay bare the veins and this hospital.

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