[William Harvey, discoverer of the blood circulation].

William Harvey (1578-1657), living at the turn to modern times, scientifically speaking, was an eminent physician and scientist. He developed the concept of the circulation of the blood and his findings have proved to be correct in nearly all details to this day. He published his physiological findings and interpretations in a small, albeit epoch-making, volume: Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus, published in Frankfurt in 1628. On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of his death on June 3, 2007, this essay commemorates the work of this important physician, illustrating his brilliant conception of the blood circulation by quoting passages from De motu cordis et sanguinis.