Sylvius, Franciscus

(born March 15, 1614, Hanau, Ger.—died Nov. 15, 1672, Leiden, Neth.) German-born Dutch physician, physiologist, anatomist, and chemist. He based his medical system on William Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood and believed that the most important life processes, both normal and pathological, took place in the blood. He proposed that chemical imbalances consist of an excess of either acids or alkalies in the blood and devised drugs to counteract them. An outstanding teacher, he had students instructed on hospital wards. He was the first to distinguish glands made up of smaller units with converging ducts from those forming a rounded mass. Several anatomical structures are named after him.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica