For many centuries, people believed Galen's ideas of how the human body works. But beginning in the 16th century and continuing on into the 17th, great minds like Andreas Vesalius and William Harvey pointed out that Galen was wrong, especially in regards to the circulatory system. Now, we look into the circulatory system, powered by the heart.
Tropes:
- Adaptation Expansion: The Comic-Book Adaptation combines this episode with elements from the "Blood" episode.
- Artistic License – History: In spite of this episode's implications, Miguel Servetus was not burned for his refutation of Galen. He was burned for his refutation of the Trinity.
- Burn the Witch!: See Artistic License – History above.
- Also, Vesalius nearly gets at the receiving end of this trope, only to be saved by Felipe II of Spain.
- Disease-Prevention Aesop: See Too Dumb to Live below.
- Flashback: Given by Globus in the middle of this episode.
- Hollywood Heart Attack: Le Teigneux becomes a victim of this trope.
- Humans Are Morons: After telling of said heart attack, Globus concludes that humans aren't the most sensible of creatures.
- It Will Never Catch On: Guy Patin's reaction to William Harvey's ideas of the circulatory system is to explain that Galen taught that there is no such thing as the circulatory system.
- Too Dumb to Live: In a Flashback from Globus, Teigneux complains about angina. His doctor advises him to give up tobacco, alcohol, and excessively fatty foods, but Teigneux ignores the doctor's advice without a second thought. As you would expect, he suffers a Hollywood Heart Attack.
