Changing Medicine in a Heartbeat Réné Laënnec (1781-1826). Traité de l’Auscultation Médiate , Paris, 1819. The stethoscope is so familiar an object, it is somewhat surprising that it did not arrive on the scene until 1816. In fact, if it had not been for a fear of breaching 19th century etiquette, we might have hadContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

The Foundation of Immunology Edward Jenner (1749-1823). An inquiry into the causes and effects of the variolae vaccinae, a disease…known by the name of the cow pox. London, Printed for the author by S. Low, 1798. On the basis of an old country tradition that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox (a relatively mild disease) wereContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

“The Most Ingenious Book that I Ever Read in My Life” – Samuel Pepys Robert Hooke (1635-1703). Micrographia: or, Some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses. London: J. Martyn and J. Allestry, 1665. In 1665, Robert Hooke completed one of the most remarkable books of the last four centuries: a collection ofContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

An “Arsenal of Surgery” Johannes Scultetus (1595-1645). Armamentarium chirurgicum. Ulm: Typis& impenis Balthasari Kühnen, 1655. When Johannes Scultetus’s Armamentarium Chirurgicum (“Arsenal of Surgery”) was published, it was hailed as the first treatise on surgery to reflect the newfound rationalism of the 17th Century. While older authors had provided illustrated works on simple operations and devicesContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

Eye Surgery in the 16th Century George Bartisch (1535-ca. 1607). Ophthalmodouleia; das is, Augendienst. [Dresen: Matthes Stoeckel], 1583. [28] 274 [83] ll., illus., port. The mere thought of eye surgery without benefit of modern anesthesia is enough to evoke severe shuddering. Yet, for hundreds of years, various operations were performed on the eyes in thisContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

A “Miserable Little Book” William Harvey’s De Motu Cordis (“On the Motion of the Heart and Blood”) During an interview conducted a decade ago, Dr. John Martin referred to William Harvey’s De Motu Cordis (“On the Motion of the Heart and Blood”) as “a miserable little book…only 68 pages, printed on terrible paper with onlyContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

Pietro da Cortona Imgages The Hardin Library has recently completed a project that allows a series of early 17th century anatomical images to be viewed from anywhere on the globe. Pietro da Cortona, a noted Italian painter and architect of the high baroque renaissance fashioned a superb series of 27 drawings around 1618 that wereContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

Touching for the King’s Evil Andre Du Laurens (1558-1609). Des mirabili strumas sanandi vi solis Galliae regibus christianissimis divinitus concessa liber unus. Paris: Apud Marcum Orry, 1609. [xv] 307 (misnumbered 293), [18] pp., fold. Plate. 17.5 Limp vellum. During the Middle Ages, tuberculosis of the lymph glands of the neck was very common and wasContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

Sixteenth Century Field Surgery Opening Hans von Gersdorff’s, Feldtbuch der Wunderartzney to this illustration leaves little doubt as to the subject matter at hand. This early, “Field-book of wound surgery” is one of the most important works on 16th century surgery. Gersdorff (1455-1529) was a military surgeon whose writings are based primarily on his ownContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”

Plagiarism in the 17th Century! The John Martin Rare Book Room recently acquired the first edition of William Cowper’s The anatomy of humane bodies (1698), one of the most controversial books in the history of medicine. Cowper (1666-1709), a renowned British surgeon and anatomist used copies of the 114 elegant plates already published by GovardContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”