Exercitatio Anatomica De Motus Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus surgical revolution

William Harvey (1578-1657), renowned British physician, introduced to the world a unique scientific pradigm pertaining to the circulation of the blood. In 1628, his acclaimed work Exercitatio Anatomica De Motus Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus was published in Frankurt, Germany. Because of the discovery of the circulation, the medical world was forever changed afterwards! The incredible implications of Harvey's work on the yet-to-be developed surgical sciences in the centuries ahead make his outstanding contribution shine as a true surgical revolution. Without his knowledge and discovery, the development of surgery, particularly in the cardiac and vascular arena, would likely never have occurred. This work reviews the discovery of circulation within the context of the historical frame of earlier works that allowed the genius of William Harvey to complete his superb contributions to medicine.