Heritage Centre : William Harvey

Harvey and the Royal College of Physicians

Extract from Harvey’s Lumleian lectures, c.1617 in his own hand. Note Harvey’s distinctive WH monogram in the top left hand corner of the page.

Demonstration Rod A whalebone rod (?), banded and tipped with silver, 430mm long. This demonstration rod is said to have been used by William Harvey when giving his Lumleian lectures at the Royal College of Physicians The Lumleian Lectures were an ambitious scheme aimed at surgeons, who the physicians’ believed needed to improve their knowledge of anatomy. As the original course was for six years of two hour-long lectures every week, it is not surprising that attendance was low! By Harvey’s time, the lectures were given three times a year.

Did you know that the post of Harveian Librarian is now an Honorary post. The library now employs four full-time members of staff and covers health policy, medical education, clinical evaluations as well as the history of the College and its Fellows.

Charter of Anatomies 1565 Charter of Queen Elizabeth I granting the College use of four bodies of hanged criminals for dissection each year. It is known as the ‘Charter of Anatomies’. This was important because bodies were not readily available for dissection. There was a general disapproval of the their use for dissection, and many bodies were stolen as a result. In c. 1540 Henry VIII had granted four bodies per year to the Barber Surgeons.

William Harvey became a candidate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1604 and a Fellow in 1607. He participated widely in College affairs, holding several offices, including that of Treasurer from 1628-29. He was appointed Lumleian (anatomical) lecturer in the College in 1615 and in 1616 began his lectures that continued intermittently for 40 years.

It has been suggested that his research leading to his discovery of the circulation of the blood was reported as a part of his Lumleian lectures. But it seems more likely that he conducted his research privately. The Lumleian lectures were designed for basic surgical teaching (aimed at surgeons because physicians felt that they didn’t have a sound enough knowledge of human anatomy) and used cadavers (dead bodies). Harvey would have needed living animals to test his hypotheses.

It is clear in his introduction to De motu cordis (his publication of his discoveries) that Harvey had demonstrated his findings to Fellows for their interest and opinion. His brilliant experiments and major discovery undoubtedly helped to raise the image of the College.

In 1651, the President of the College, Francis Prujean asked for Fellows opinions on the potential construction of a building for a library and a collection of‘simples and rarities’. In 1654, on the opening of the building, it became clear that the sponsor was William Harvey. As a Royalist he was unable to visit the College during Parliamentary rule and was probably keeping a low profile.

As well as donating his collection of books and ‘rarities’ to the College, in 1656 William Harvey also gave his patrimonial estate of Burmarsh (in Romney Marsh Kent) to the College. This provided the money for an annual oration (speech) and feast as well as the honorarium (a wage of £20 per year) for the Harveian Librarian. The annual feast and oration were meant to encourage ‘mutual affection amongst Fellows for the dignity of the profession’.

The College’s present home in Regent’s Park was designed by the Architect, Sir Denys Lasdun. Sir Denys saw the building as a living organism. It is also known that he studied Harvey’s theory of the circulation of the blood at this time. As such it can be seen with its two upper chambers, doors as valves and grill symbolising the pump action of the heart, the Censor’s Room is the heart of the College. This is appropriate, as monitoring of entry into the medical profession (traditionally the Censors/ examiners role) has been one of the College’s activities since Henry VIII founded it in 1518.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page last updated on May 16, 2005