Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 13. (Budapest, 1959)
Dr. I. CSILLAG and Dr. H. JELLINEK: From primitive Haemostatic Methods to Modern Vascular Surgery
could be found in the history of mankind. Enraged and desperate attacks against Harvey were ensuing. Characteristic is the slogan of the time: "Malo cum Galeno errare, quam Harveyi veritatem ampleti". (Better to err with Galen than accept Harvey's truth). This furious, hostile attitude tried him so much that, though physician of Charles I., he was obliged to retire to his country seclusion, give up public activity and live only for his experiments till his death in 1657. Harvey's greatest merit lies in discovering the circulatory system thus disproving the statements of Galen. He demonstrated the arterial blood to return into the heart through the veins. He stated that the blood circulates though he never could follow the entire passage of the blood since he failed to observe the capillary system, merely supposed its existence. The capillary system was discovered later by Malphigi (1628—1694) who was born in the year when Harvey's work was published. The discovery of injections was of utmost importance w r hich still more facilitated the detection of the vascular system. In the second part of the 17th century the researchers of the English and French Academy experimented even with the transfusion of blood. The first injections were given with the purpose of extending the physiological, therapeutical and anatomical knowledge. Blood was transfused from one animal into the other, several drugs and air were injected into the vessels with the final aim of rejuvenation. The experiments of Christopher Wren (1632—1723) are the most outstanding who applied a ligature on the vein of the animal, opened the vessel near the heart and with a tube ending in a bladder, administered wine and beer into the living animals's circulation; he experienced that the animals became tipsy. During the same period experiments were carried out in the course of which air was injected into the vein of oxen. The immediate death of the animals was observed. Frederik Ruysch, professor in Amsterdam was the greatest research worker in the anatomy of vessels during this time. He filled the vessels with wax and thus observed their running. His préparâtes gained world-fame and his time-mates 6 Orvostörténeti közi. 81
