Quotes from William Harvey

Civilization is only a series of victories against nature.

There is no perfect knowledge which can be entitled ours, that is innate; none but what has been obtained from experience, or derived in some way from our senses.

All we know is still infinitely less than all that still remains unknown.

I profess both to learn and to teach anatomy, not from books but from dissections; not from positions of philosophers but from the fabric of nature.

The heart of animals is the foundation of their life, the sovereign of everything within them, the sun of their microcosm.

I appeal to your own eyes as my witness and judge.

Doctrine once sown strikes deep its root, and respect for antiquity influences all men.

Very many maintain that all we know is still infinitely less than all that still remains unknown.

The heart of animals is the foundation of their life, the sovereign of everything within them, the sun of their microcosm, that upon which all growth depends, from which all power proceeds.

I profess to learn and to teach anatomy not from books but from dissections, not from the tenets of Philosophers but from the fabric of Nature.

I found the task so truly arduous... that I was almost tempted to think... that the movement of the heart was only to be comprehended by God. For I could neither rightly perceive at first when the systole and when the diastole took place by reason of the rapidity of the movement...

Good God! how should the mitral valves prevent the regurgitation of air and not of blood?

Moderate labor of the body conduces to the preservation of health, and cares many initial diseases.

Very many maintain that all we know is still infinitely less than all that still remains unknown.

I profess to learn and to teach anatomy not from books but from dissections, not from the tenets of Philosophers but from the fabric of Nature.

As art is a habit with reference to things to be done, so is science a habit in respect to things to be known.

Doctrine once sown strikes deep its root, and respect for antiquity influences all men.

The heart is the household divinity which, discharging its function, nourishes, cherishes, quickens the whole body, and is indeed the foundation of life, the source of all action.

There is a lust in man no charm can tame: Of loudly publishing his neighbor's shame: On eagles wings immortal scandals fly, while virtuous actions are born and die.

I avow myself the partisan of truth alone.

Only by understanding the wisdom of natural foods and their effects on the body, shall we attain mastery of disease and pain, which shall enable us to relieve the burden of mankind.

All we know is still infinitely less than all that remains unknown.