Observationes Medicae circa Morborum Acutorum Historiam et Curationem.

First Edition. 8vo, Epistola Dedicatoria (9), Praesatio (a-c2), 425pp, Elenchus Rerum (55), engraved frontispiece portrait by Blooteling after Mary Beale. Bound in quarter goatskin, red calf label lettered in gilt, raised bands with decorative gilt motifs, likely an early 19th century continental binding, title inscribed in ink on lower edge; an indication of how the book was originally shelved. Published by A. C. Ipenisis Gualteri Kettilby (London), 1676. A tape repair to the reverse of the frontispiece, a small tear to the bottom right corner of the frontispiece (not affecting the image or text), some fraying to page edges and a little loss (not affecting any text) to pp. 349-352., some occasional minor browning. A very good copy. This is Thomas Sydenham's (1624-1689) first book and a landmark work in epidemiology. This work "became a standard textbook of medicine for two centuries so that he became known as 'The English Hippocrates'. Among his many achievements was the discovery of a disease, Sydenham's Chorea, also known as St Vitus Dance." (London School Of Tropical Medicine.) This work was formed from the notes Sydenham made between 1669 and 1674, following the London Great Plague. In the preface, he puts forward ideas for new therapies to counter epidemic diseases. Sydenham provides an explanation in the text of measles and how it differs from scarlatina which he named, and also describes smallpox and scarlet fever. (Meynell, Bibliography, Garrison, Norman catalogue 2038.) Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.