But he had the great satisfaction of living to
see his doctrine accepted upon all sides. At the time of his death,
there was not an anatomical school in Europe in which the doctrine of
the circulation of the blood was not taught in the way in which Harvey
had laid it down. In that respect he had a happiness which is granted
to very few men.
I have said that the other great investigation of Harvey is not one
which can be dealt with to a general audience. It is very complex, and
therefore I must ask you to take my word for it that, although not so
fortunate an investigation, not so entirely accordant with later results
as the doctrine of the circulation; yet that still, this little
treatise of Harvey's has in many directions exerted an influence hardly
less remarkable than that exerted by the Essay upon the Circulation of
the Blood.
And now let me ask your attention to two or three closing remarks.
If you look back upon that period of about 100 years which commences
with Harvey's birth--I mean from the year 1578 to 1680 or
thereabouts--I think you will agree with me, that it constitutes one of
the most remarkable epochs in the whole of that thousand years which we
may roughly reckon as constituting the history of Britain.
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