Born in Folkestone in 1578, he was educated at Cambridge and went to study medicine at the University of Padua in Italy. On his return to England, he enrolled again at Cambridge for a third medical degree. In 1609 he was appointed physician to St Bartholomew's Hospital, and it was during his time there that he put forth his ideas about circulation of the blood. Harvey published his views in 'Exercitatio Anatomica de montu Cordis et Sanguinis', which became a much celebrated publication. Dat