The Works of William Harvey M.D. Translated from the Latin with a life of the author

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                                  THE
                           SYDENHAM SOCIETY

                              INSTITUTED
                              MDCCCXLIII

                            [Illustration]

                                LONDON
                              MDCCCXLVII.




                     PRINTED BY C. AND J. ADLARD,
                          BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE.




                               THE WORKS

                                  OF

                         WILLIAM HARVEY, M.D.

        PHYSICIAN TO THE KING, PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY AND SURGERY
                     TO THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS

                       TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN

                                 WITH

                         A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR

                                  BY

                          ROBERT WILLIS, M.D.

  MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGES OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF ENGLAND,
       CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF
           GÖTTINGEN, OF THE IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF PHYSICIANS
                  AND SURGEONS OF VIENNA, AND OF THE
                    NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA,
                               ETC. ETC.

                                LONDON

                   PRINTED FOR THE SYDENHAM SOCIETY

                              MDCCCXLVII.




PREFACE.


When, at the instance of the governing body of the Sydenham Society, I
undertook to edit the Works of the immortal Discoverer of the
Circulation of the Blood, in English, I believed that the chief of these
Works were already extant in our language, in such a shape as would make
little more from an editor necessary than a careful revision of the
text. I had unwarily adopted the idea, very gratuitously originated by
Aubrey, that Harvey was what is called an indifferent scholar, and that
the English versions of his writings were the proper originals, the
Latin versions the translations. Having access to the handsome edition
of Harvey’s Works in Latin, revised by Drs. Lawrence and Mark Akenside,
and published by the College of Physicians in 1766, I had always
referred to that when the course of my studies led me to consult Harvey.
Of the English versions, or any other edition, I knew little or nothing.
On proceeding to my new duty of English editor, however, I immediately
saw that the masterwork of Harvey on the MOTIONS of the HEART and BLOOD,
far from having the character of an originally English writing, must
have been rendered into English by one but little conversant with the
subject, that it was both extremely rebutting in point of style and full
of egregious errors, and that nothing short of an entirely new
translation could do justice to this admirable treatise, or secure for
it, at the present day, the attention it deserved. Full of zeal, and
making of my task a labour of love, I had soon completed a new
translation of the Exercises on the Heart and Blood, with equal pleasure
and profit to myself.

The work on GENERATION came next under review. The English version of
this I had heard it positively asserted was the original, was Harvey’s
own; here therefore my business of editor would properly begin. But I
had not gone through a couple of pages of the text, before difficulties
like those already experienced met me again. That the statement above
referred to was erroneous, speedily became apparent; and a little
inquiry enabled me to discover that the English version of the Exercises
on Generation was the work of a physician named Llewellen. Though not
incorrect generally, there was, nevertheless, a great deal that I wished
had been otherwise rendered; and then the scientific and professional
language of two centuries back looked strangely when examined by the
eye, and had an unusual sound when tried upon the ear. Only anxious to
present to my brethren in the most appropriate and attractive form
possible, the writings of him who had still met me in his Works and with
his contemplative look in his Portrait as a kind of divinity in
medicine, I even girded myself up for the long and laborious enterprise
of translating anew into our mother tongue the work on Generation, and
at length achieved my task, not without difficulty.

The short paper on the ANATOMY of THOMAS PARR appears in the
Philosophical Transactions in English; but it stands there as a
translation; and having now translated so much myself, I even thought it
would be well to translate that also, and so it was achieved.

The LETTERS, though frequently quoted, have never appeared in English
before. They will be found both highly interesting and important. To
render them was a light and pleasant task.--In a word, the English
reader is now presented with an entirely new translation of the writings
of William Harvey; everything of our illustrious countryman worthy of
publication that has come down to us, being here included.[1]

The reader will perceive that I have abstained from annotation and
commentary in the course of my labour.