MEDICAL DISPUTATION IN FINE BINDING

[Smallpox] Disputatio medica generis historici de variolis. Ratisbonae [Regensburg], curabat Emanuel Adam Weiss 1763.

An extraordinarily presented copy of an uncommon dissertation, on the terrible disease of smallpox. The ornate binding includes, at centre of front cover, in Latin, the words “On Smallpox” (De variolis). The work does *not* appear to have mention of the ravages caused by the disease, brought over by European settlers, in the Americas. Authorities cited include Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682-1771), Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689), Martin Lister (1639-1712), Lorenzo Bellini (1643-1704), Herman Boerhaave (16668-1738), Lorenz Heister (1683-1758), Alessandro Pascoli (1669-1757), Anton de Haen (1704-1776), Francesco Redi (1626-1697), Robert Boyle (1627-1691).

Details

One volume, 22.1 cms. x 18 cms. in binding, quarto, pp. 48. Three-sided factotum initial (sigs. A2 recto, A3 recto), typographical decoration. Light browning. Bound in brown goatskin, ornately decorated and panelled, with gilt, and with the leather stained in three colours (medium-brown, darker speckled brown and black). Horizontal oval at centre of each cover, to front, with text stamped in gilt, ‘DE VARIOLIS’, to back, on pink-stained leather, ‘MDCCLXIII’. Gilt line to sides, wavy line to dentelles, gilt plant rule to spine, all edges gilt, marbled pastedowns and endpapers. (Binding rubbed, corners bent in with a tiny touch of wear, well-preserved).

VD18 14656345. Blake 32. Copies located outside mainland Europe (OCLC, JISC) at British Library, National Library of Scotland, John Carter Brown Library (Rhode Island); and (cf. Blake) National Library of Medicine (Washington DC).