Vieussens advanced the understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the brain, heart, nervous system, and circulatory system. Many anatomical features in these systems are named after him, such as Vieussens' centrum (the white oval core of each hemisphere of the brain); Vieussens' valve (a sheet of thin white tissue in the brain); Vieussens' ventricle (one of the fluid-filled spaces in the brain); Vieussens' ansa (a loop in the ganglia around the subclavian artery); Vieussens' ganglion (a network of nerves between the aorta and the stomach); Vieussens' anulus, isthmus, or limbus (a ring of muscle in the right atrium of the heart); Vieussens' foramina (tiny openings in the veins of the right atrium of the heart); and Vieussens' veins (small veins on the surface of the heart).

Vieussens was born perhaps as late as 1641, the son of François Vieussens, a townsman of Vigan, France. After receiving...