35; 18 folding leaves. Two vols. 8vo, orig. aubergine patterned wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers, new stitching. Edo, Kyoto, & Osaka: various publishers, Prefaces dated 1859, Afterwords dated 1860.

First edition of this very rare work on epidemics and communicable diseases. “Koretsune or Ritsuen or Sohaku Asada (1813-1894) was a famous physician and a prolific writer on a variety of subjects in Japanese medicine…Asada began the study of medicine at the age of 13, soon coming under the influence of old Chinese physicians in Kyoto, a circumstance which was to have a powerful effect on his later... More