But when he published his now-famous book on the heart and blood circulation, it looked
as if William Harvey might lose everything.
However, Dr. Harvey’s critics hadn’t counted on his brilliance and tenacity. He proved
his theories time and again with experiments that showed how the circulation system
worked, and with calculations that proved the impossibility of the theory about blood
originating in the liver.
In the end, no one could argue with the powerful evidence; William Harvey had clearly
made a huge advance in medical science. Not only did people finally understand how the
heart really worked, they also were inspired to copy his style of provable, repeatable
experiments.
While Dr. Harvey went on to great fame and fortune as the physician of kings and other
rich clients, and as the man who opened the eyes of the world to the wonders of the heart,
he never stopped working for the poor. Until he was an old man, he served at St.
Bartholomew’s Hospital every week, giving free health care to people who could not
afford to pay a doctor.
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