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An obvious candidate for the seminal event in the history of haemorheology is Harvey's presentation of the concept of the circulation of the blood. Prior to this, the ideas concerning the movement of blood were based, in Europe and Middle East, largely on the principles laid down by Galen, and these had been, in effect, dogma for nearly a millennium and a half. These principles were basically that blood is formed in the liver, thence it travels to the bodily organs and is consumed - hence there is one-way flow and no circulation of the blood at all. Harvey's revolutionary idea that blood circulates repeatedly around the cardiovascular system laid the foundation for haemorheology because once that idea was accepted then the fluidity of the blood immediately became potentially of crucial importance - and haemorheology was conceived. In this paper the ideas that preceded Harvey will be presented, i.e. those of Galen, Ibn al-Nafis, Vesalius, Fabricius and Colombo etc. Harvey's awareness of this background, due mainly to time spent in Padua, triggered his many experimental investigations and discoveries. Ultimately, these led to his astonishing insights published in De Mortu Cordis in 1628 which changed the understanding of the cardio-vascular system forever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reversible aggregation of red blood cells (RBC) into linear and three‐dimensional structures continues to be of basic science and clinical interest: RBC aggregation affects low shear blood viscosity and microvascular flow dynamics, and can be markedly enhanced in several clinical states. Until fairly recently, most research efforts were focused on relations between suspending medium composition (i.e., protein levels, polymer type and concentration) and aggregate formation. However, there is now an increasing amount of experimental evidence indicating that RBC cellular properties can markedly affect aggregation, with the term “RBC aggregability” coined to describe the cell's intrinsic tendency to aggregate. Variations of aggregability can be large, with some changes of aggregation substantially greater than those resulting from pathologic states. The present review provides a brief overview of this topic, and includes such areas as donor‐to‐donor variations, polymer–plasma correlations, effects of RBC age, effects of enzymatic treatment, and current developments related to the mechanisms involved in RBC aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at a meeting held at the Barnet General Hospital in London, England is presented. Some of the speakers of the event includes P. Gaehtgens, S. E. Lennie, J. G. Jones, and G. D. O. Lowe. Topics discussed at a meeting includes an overview about rheology, the use of micropore filtration and micropipette techniques, and the aspect of white cell behavior.

The article highlights a two-day meeting conducted by the Forum on Clinical Haemorheology on plasma factors and haemorheology in the neonate and the adult. The common cause of variations in the rheological properties of blood is said to be the influence of changes in the plasma environment. The mechanics of the neonatal red cells were discussed by professor O. Linderkamp.

Information about several papers discussed during the Forum on Clinical Haemorheology on April 12, 1985 is presented. The conference was devoted primarily to blood and plasma viscosity and their measurement. The event featured several speakers Arpad Matrai, A. C. Fisher, J. A. Evans and G. D. O. Lowe.