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Abstract

The front side depicts the logo of the European Society of Cardiology. The other side depicts plants and quotes three sayings that related cardiology to the world both individual and universe. ‘‘Art Longa Vita Brevis’’ is a Latin translation of the first line of the Aphorisms of Hippocrates. It means ‘‘Life is short (but) the art long’’. Some would translate not as art, but science. However, it is clear that Hippocrates is referring to medicine — the message is that the individual can only contribute little, but that the art to which he contributes will live after us. He both asks for humility and at the same time states the importance of the ‘‘art of science’’. The sentence is completed by ‘‘. . . opportunity is fleeting, experiment treacherous and judgement difficult’’. Hippocrates may be considered as the Father of European medicine. He lived in Greece 460–370 B.C. ‘‘De Motu Cordis’’ is the title of the first book by William Harvey published in 1628. ‘‘De Circulatione Sanguinis’’ followed it in 1652. In the book he lays out his arguments that the blood circulates around the body and that the heart drives that circulation. The two original books, written in Latin, were translated into English in 1653. In the dedication of ‘‘De Motu Cordis’’ Harvey begins ‘‘The heart of creatures is the foundation of life, the Prince of all, the sun of their microcosm, . . . from where all vigor and strength does flow’’. This resonates with Copernicus in ‘‘De revolutionibus orbium coellestium’’ describing the sun as ‘‘the soul, the light of the world — placed on a royal throne in the centre of the universe where it guides the family of the stars circling round it’’. By placing ‘‘De Motu Cordis’’ (concerning the movement of the heart) and ‘‘De Motu orbis terrarum’’ (concerning the movement of the earth) side by side on the medal the movement of the heart at the centre of the human body is seen to be analogous to the movement of the earth around the centre piece of the sun. Both Copernicus and Harvey were members of the international republic of science who wrote in a common language and knew no national boundaries. William Harvey was born in Folkestone in 1578. He studied medicine in Cambridge and in Padua. When first published his book received much criticism. A storm of indignation arose in London and Paris. When asked ‘‘cui bonos’’ (what was the use of the circulation) he replied ‘‘I am of the opinion that our first duty is to inquire whether the thing be or not, before asking wherefore it is’’. Copernicus was born at Torum, Poland in 1473. He studied in Cracow and became a priest. Later he also studied medicine in Padua and Rome. He gave his service as a doctor free to the poor. On the medal, between the quotations are seen several stems of the foxglove (digitalis purpurea). In 1785, William Withering, a physician to the general hospital in Birmingham wrote ‘‘An account of the Foxglove and some of its medical uses with practical rewards on dropsy (heart failure)’’. In the book he describes several cases in which difficulty in breathing and oedema were relieved by a concoction of the foxglove. He even describes that nausea is a side effect of the treatment. Since then the foxglove has become a symbol of the therapeutic advance in cardiology. In the book he states that he gave all his treatments gratis. The Swedish artist Bo Thoren designed the medal in the year 2000 and The Royal Mint, Sweden, minted it.