30:725:424:01 History of Pharmacy Class Outline
Professor John L. Colaizzi October 31, 2008
Physiology of the Cardiovascular System – Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood
William Harvey is credited with initiating the _______Age of Biomedical Science______ with
the introduction of the biomedical science of _____physiology____by his elucidation of the
____Cardiovascular System and Circulation of blood________
William Harvey (1578 – 1657)
● Harvey’s life and personality –
short English guy, serious and reserved
died at 79, stroke ironically (identified CV system)
● Harvey’s educational background –
Cambridge brilliant Student --> best place for medical school --> went to University of Padua
and worked with Fabrizio
● The influence of Professor Girolamo Fabrizio (Fabricus) (1537 – 1619) at the University
of Padua –
identified structure of the venous valves --> gave him idea of circulation
● Harvey’s career as a respected and influential British physician –
once he returned to England to practice medicine --> highly respected
got into Royal Academy of Medicine
appointed physician to many English monarchs
research over clinical work --> did animal dissection (expertise)
● Harvey’s place in the annals of history –
1. discovered continuous circuit of blood --> even today ranks greatest medical discovery
2. Defined first system of physiology
3. introduced scientific age of medicine
● Harvey’s meticulous research and transformational discovery –
▪ 17 years of study and preparation –
to come up with publishing ideas of circulation
knew of controversies of the past that would arise so, slowly introduced idea
held out lectured, before publication
(1611-1628), early to middle 30s when he found whole circulation of blood)
▪ Harvey’s brilliant publication: Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinibus in Animalibus –
anatomical experiments on the motion of heart and blood in animals
published year 1628 in his 50s
72 pages, some consider most brilliant medical publication ever!
▪ The incontrovertible proof presented by the de Motu Cordis –
people accepted it despite how it went against Galen and others ideas
● The general
outline of de Motu Cordis –
▪ Auricles, Ventricles, Veins, Arteries -->chambers of the heart, detailed discovery of anatomy
▪ The Vena Cava – 2 main veins by which blood enters RA
▪ The Aorta –major vessel, main artery transported LV --> aorta , blood out of the heart
▪ The valves of the blood vessels –unidirectional flow
▪ The heart’s only function –pump
▪ The Pulmonary (“lesser”) Circulation – clearest explanation of pulmonary circulation, did not
give credit to anyone (Galen, Servito, Columbo)
● The Conclusion of the de Motu Cordis: “That there may be a motion, as it were in a
circle……………….”
The Aftermath of Harvey’s Discovery –
● Bloodletting
and Leeches –
▪ General –stimulated interest and realized blood was important
▪ Critics: Johannes Van Helmont (17th century) and Pierre Louis (19th century)
did not fit his iatrochemistry (body is chemical factory)
Pierre Louis --> biostatistics --> no statistical evidence bloodletting is valid
▪ Current status of bloodletting, phlebotomy, venepuncture
blood letting no longer practiced except polycythemia vera (too many RBCs)
phlebotomy used
1. gain vascular access (needle, catheter)
2. TDM --> therapeutic drug monitoring
● Blood Transfusions –
▪ Early misconceptions as a result of Harvey’s work –
concerning mental illness --> was thought that draining blood of insane and putting the blood of
sane would cure mental illness -->
▪ Early experiments and lack of success –
disastrous results, blood transfusions came back 20th century
▪ Karl Landsteiner (1860 – 1943) (Austrian born American immunologist) –
came up with idea of distinct blood groups, based on antigens on RBC
hospital --> pt will die if given different blood type
● The parenteral Route of Administration▪ Sir Christopher Wren (1632 – 1723) and his experiments with the IV Route –
hooked the bladder to a quill
put in slurry of opium --> injected into vein of dog -->squeezed balloon to get mix into dog-->
anesthetisized --> IV injection
Wren first tried to do experiments with IV route, stimulated by Harvey's work
tried IV injections in humans
not resurrected until late 19th century
▪ Reasons for the disastrous results with IV administration during the late 17th and early
18th centuries –
was not resurrected til 19th century
1. did not have true physical checmical solutions, no soluble salts, only opium compoudns
2. no understanding of asepsis/sterility/microbes
3. poor equipment: bladder and quill
4. did not understand pyrogens (cause fever)
▪ Gradual resumption of IV and other forms of parenteral therapy - contributors to the
progress: 1796 – Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823) –English Physician, 1st vaccine for smallpox by
intradermal injection
1853 - Charles Gabriel Pravaz (1791 – 1853) -->invented hypodermic syringe and needles by
SC injection
1855 - Alexander Wood (1817 – 1884) –Scotchmann, first to use SC for morphine
1867 – Joseph Lister (1827 - 1912) –surgery should be done aspetically, aseptic technique, was
almost thrown out of medical society, British were offended "dirty hands"
1886 - Stanislaus Limousin (1831- 1887) – The Ampul --> RPh, invented first container to
maintain sterility for parenterals
1906 - Paul Ehrlich (1854 – 1945) – Salvarsan --> IV injection for syphilis
Americans
1911 - W. Kausch - Parenteral Hydration Solutions -large volume D5W, NSS for hydration
and electrolytes
1923 – Florence Seibert (1898 – 1991) - Pyrogens
1967/1968 – Stanley Dudrick - Total Parenteral Nutrution – Surgical Nutrition – American
surgeon, hypertonic is >5%. into peripheral veins, central vessel -->
hypotonic solution so that vessels would not sclerose with hypertonic solution
1965 -1970 – Clifton Latiolais (1918-1995) – Pharmacy-bases IV Admixtures/Aseptic
Technique -->RPhs responsible for sterile solutions
Ohio state university came up with it. taught RPhs how to prepare aseptic --> legally require
hospital solutions.
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