" He who really understands what is involved in the breathing of man , has already sensed the breath of God" proclaimed the 16th century Spanish theologian and physician Miguel Servetus. Through the study of anatomy, Servetus sought rational explanation for the Bibilical passages placing the man's soul in the blood. He wondered how the breath of God reach the blood?
In 1553, he published his last work, the treatise Christianity Restored containing a passage describing the path of blood from the heart to the lungs. Servetus had discovered the pulmonary circulation. In doing so, he challenged the wisdom of Galen whose doctrines had survived the Middle Ages to become dogma. Galen believed that the blood mixed with the air in left ventricle( which he believed reached the left ventricle from right ventricle through tiny pores in the midwall) to become "vital spirit" with the breath of God. We now know that this is not true - blood from the right side of the heart that is from the right ventricle goes to the left side through the pulmonary artery.
Servetus challenged Galen's then conventional view and said that the breath of God was produced by "another contrivance". He noted that the blood travelled from the right side of the heart to the left side by the way of a "lengthened passage through the lungs in the course of which it is elaborated and becomes of a crimson color. He was literally describing the pulmonary circulation. "After mixing the blood became a fit dwelling place for the vital spirit " and finally entered the left side of the heart.
This fact was not observed. When William Harvey described the blood circulation 75 years later, he did not know of Servatus's work. The work of this Spaniard went unrecognized till about 1700 when an English surgeon discovered the passage. The theological doctrines declared heresy and Servatus had become a casualty of a religious battle.
It should be noted that Servatus lived during the period of Reformation, a period of religious ferment that led to the division of the Roman Catholic Church and the advent of the Protestantism.
Rebellious and outspoken, he published his first challenge to the church dogma at the age of 20. The work , however, opposed the fundamental doctrine of Trinity. This caused a furor resulting in Servetus fleeing from his house in Switzerland. He moved to Paris and studied Medicine under the pseudonym Michel Villanovanus. After his graduation, he became the physician to the Archbishop of Vienne. His interest in theology continued to dominate his life.
Theologist John Calvin at Geneva. was a prominent protestant reformer then. Hoping to get Calvin's approval, Servatus sent him a copy of his Christianity Restored. Contrary to his expectation Calvin was so outraged that he vowed to get Servatus executed if he ever set his foot at Geneva. Undaunted, Servatus got 1000 copies of his book printed in France under a false identity. However he was discovered, seized and handed over to the christian authorities. He knew that his fate was sealed. He somehow escaped during his trial.
He appeared in Geneva a few months later. Apparently, he was tempting the fate. Calvin had him arrested and put him on a trial for heresy. In the trial, he was found guilty of "infecting" his readers with "unhappy and wretched poison".
As the punishment, Servetus was burnt on stake on an October afternoon in 1553. A copy of his offending book was strapped to his waist.
I am sure you will agree Servatus was a true hero - he not only discovered the inconvenient truth but had the courage to go all the way to propagate it even if it meant death to him! Science progressed by the painstaking research and heroic sacrifices made by him and the likes of him!
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