JOHN LIZARS (1787?-1860). A system of anatomical plates of the human body. Edinburgh: W. H. Lizars, [1840?]. Lizars developed a great reputation as a teacher and was also a bold and forthright surgeon. He made a number of original contributions, was a pioneer in performing ovariotomies in Europe, and he clearly demonstrated the value ofContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, October 2012”
Category Archives: Notes from the Rare Book Room
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room
CLAUDE NICOLAS LE CAT (1700-1768). Traité des sens. Nouvelle ed. Amsterdam: Chez J. Wetstein, 1744. Le Cat, a man of many interests, was one of France’s foremost surgeons and researchers. Le Cat was interested in the physiology of the nervous system. He was a contemporary of Haller and incorrectly believed, contrary to Haller, that theContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, August 2012
REINIER DE GRAAF (1641-1673). Tractatus anatomico-medicus de succi pancreatici natura & usu. Leiden: Ex officina Hackiana, 1671. Graaf, a Dutch anatomist and physiologist, was celebrated for his work on digestion as well as on the anatomy of the genital organs of both sexes. He was an early investigator of the pancreas and collected the pancreaticContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, August 2012”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, July 2012
JAN SWAMMERDAM (1637-1680). Tractatus physico-anatomico-medicus de respiratione usuque pulmonum. Leiden: Apud Danielem, Abraham. & Adrian, à Gaasbeeck, 1667. Despite his short life and a professional career of only about twelve years, Swammerdam of Amsterdam was one of the outstanding comparative anatomists of the seventeenth century. He was a pioneer in microscopic studies, investigating especially theContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, July 2012”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, May 2012
MONDINO DEI LUZZI (d. 1326). Anatomia Mundini. Marburg: In officina Christiani Egenolphi, [1541] This edition of Mondino’s anatomy was prepared by Johannes Dryander, called Eichmann, who is generally regarded as one of the first anatomists to make illustrations from his own dissections. This important and rare book is especially interesting for its woodcuts. Nearly halfContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, May 2012”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, March 2012
AL-MAJUSI ‘ALI IBN AL-‘ABBAS (d. 994). Liber totius medicine necessaria continens quem . . . 1523. Haly Abbas, as he was known in the Latin west, was a native of Ahwaz in southwestern Persia and, in all probability, studied medicine at nearby Jundi-Shapur. He served as court physician to the Buyid ruler ‘Adud ad-Dawlah (d.Continue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, March 2012”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, January, 2012
Nicolaas Tulp (1593-1664). Observationes medicae. 1652. Along with other distinguished anatomists in Holland, Tulp left a rich legacy of anatomical discoveries. His name is current in the eponym”Tulp’s valve” (the ileocecal valve). This book contains the first descriptions of beri-beri and of what is probably diphtheria. Tulp described the condition we know as migraine, theContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, January, 2012”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, Dec 2011
ALESSANDRO PASCOLI (1669-1757). Il corpoumano. Perugia: Pe’l Costantini, 1700. A native of Perugia in central Italy, Pascoli initially practiced medicine in his natal city and then lectured in philosophy and anatomy at the university. Pope Clement XI appointed him professor of anatomy in Rome. He performed public dissections similar to his colleague and competitor Vesalius. Continue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, Dec 2011”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, November, 2011
JAKOB RÜFF (1500-1558). De conceptu et generatione hominis. Lithotomost, surgeon, obstetrician and playwright, Ruff settled in Zurich about 1525 where he served as town physician and taught at the university. Ruff published his book in both German and Latin in 1554. A comprehensive handbook, the treatise opens with a discussion of conception, development, and nutrition of theContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room, November, 2011”
Notes from the Rare Book Room, September 2011
ALESSANDRO ACHILLINI (1463-1512). Opera omnia in unum collecta. Venice: Apud Hieronymum Scotum, 1568 Achillini graduated from Bologna in 1484 with his doctorate in both medicine and philosophy. He immediately began his advancement through the academic ranks by teaching philosophy and, after 1495, he also taught medicine. He left Bologna for Padua in 1506 because ofContinue reading “Notes from the Rare Book Room, September 2011”