Overview. William Harvey (1578-1657) is recognized as the man who discovered and published the first accurate description of the human circulatory system, based on his many years of experiments and observations as a scientist and physician.

When was circulatory system invented?

The earliest known writings on the circulatory system are found in the Ebers Papyrus (16th century BCE), an ancient Egyptian medical papyrus containing over 700 prescriptions and remedies, both physical and spiritual. In the papyrus, it acknowledges the connection of the heart to the arteries.

What was William Harvey known for?

William Harvey, (born April 1, 1578, Folkestone, Kent, England—died June 3, 1657, London), English physician who was the first to recognize the full circulation of the blood in the human body and to provide experiments and arguments to support this idea.