William Harvey's use of Quantitative Method *

In the extensive literature on the discovery of the concept of the circulation of the blood appear many claims that various men other than William Harvey (1578-1657) were the true discoverers. Bayon' discusses the case for the following six: Andrea Cesalpino (1524-1603), Realdo Colombo (1510-59), Helvicus Dietericus (1601-55), Galen (131-201), Paolo Sarpi (1552-1623), and Walter Warren (d. 1640); in addition, there have been claimants for Frangois Rabelais (1485-1553), Carlo Ruini (d. 1598), and Michael Servetus (1509-53). Apparently, as a kind of hedge against fate in the event that it turned out that someone else had discovered the circulation earlier, some of Harvey's proponents have also attempted to establish him as the "Father of Experimental Physiology," and others have suggested that his introduction of quantitative methods into biology was more important than his disclosure concerning the circulation. There is no doubt that Harvey both developed and adequately demonstrated his great concept of the function of the heart and the motion of the blood. Historically, it is clear that the importance of Harvey's work was his hypothesis of the circulation; his observations on the motion of the heart and blood, while important, have had less subsequent effect on physiology than his concept. Using symbolic logic, J. H. Woodger has arrived at the same conclusion.! Harvey's concept has continued to be a fruitful one for more than three centuries, and it still suggests investigations to be made. There can also be no doubt that Harvey played an important r6le in reintroducing experiment into seventeenth century biology; but it is most