This work investigates the life and scientific contributions of William Harvey, the physician who first accurately described the systemic circulation of blood. G. L. Keynes, a noted surgeon and bibliographer, utilizes historical records and Harvey's own writings to reconstruct the environment of 17th-century medicine. The text examines how Harvey's empirical observations challenged the long-standing Galenic traditions of the time. By situating Harvey within the intellectual climate of the Stuart era, the author provides a comprehensive account of the development of modern physiology.

Historians of medicine regard this text as a reliable and thorough biographical resource. Readers frequently note the scholarly precision of the prose and the author's deep familiarity with the primary source material.