Robert Willis was one of the early historians of medicine in Great Britain. He is recalled as a biographer and editor of the works of William Harvey. His translation of Harvey's 'Exercitatio de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus' of 1628 is appreciated as the standard rendering among all the English versions of this most influential dissertation. Willis' author's copy of 'The Works of William Harvey' with corrections and notes which, however, are not indicative of attempts at a revision of the text is to be found in the Library of the University of Münster at Westphalia in Germany. The book was donated along with 17,000 other books, in the years 1911/12 to the University Library by the German physician Dr Albert Voss who practised in the United States of America.