Page:The Harveian oration - delivered at the Royal College of Physicians June 24, 1882 - by George Johnson (IA b21517046).pdf/16

12 Cesalpino's own countrymen, Malpighi and Bag- livi (p. 205), had their judgments perverted by the embarrassing fact that they had been elected Fellows of the Royal Society of London.

Ceradini allows, as an excuse for Harvey's pretensions, that, inasmuch as he had contributed somewhat to the complete demonstration of his predecessor's doctrine, and had undergone great labour in his endeavour to make it known and to overcome the infinite prejudices by which it was opposed, he may at length have persuaded himself that Cesalpino's discovery was actually his own. But he proceeds to say that these con- siderations, while they in part justify Harvey's conduct, avail not to excuse that of his fellow- countrymen, who to this day, in spite of truth and justice, believe, or feign to believe, him to be the discoverer of the circulation of the blood -perhaps, he sarcastically adds, in order not to deprive themselves of the pretext for an annual celebration of his memory inter pocula.' ma che sarebbe anche più singolare, se Haller non si fosse trovato nella stessa difficile condizione di Malpighi e Baglivi, nella con- dizione cioè di membro della Reale Accademia di Londra' (p. 266). 1 Ma queste considerazioni, se giustificano in parte la condotta di Harvey, non valgono affatto di scusa a quella de' suoi connazionali, i