This attractive scroll begins with three large figures of the human body — front, rear, and side views — with locations of acupuncture points (red dots) and moxibustion locations (black dots). Each of the acupuncture pressure points are labeled in manuscript with their names. The moxibustion points are also labelled but with notes giving their locations. The three images are delicately painted with flesh colors and black hair. The anterior view depicts the 21 bones of the spine. Many of these are numbered with references to specific organs. Again, pressure points are displayed.

These illustrations are derived from the Ling-shu [the “Vital Axis”], a rare collection of dissertations on moxibustion and acupuncture, written in about the second century BCE, which “formed [along with the Su Wen] the theoretical basis of classical Chinese medicine…the Ling-shu…discusses mainly therapy — mostly centered on medicinal prescriptions, but also including physical therapies such as bonesetting and breathing exercises, and stimulation treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion and massage.”–Sugimoto & Swain, Science & Culture in Traditional Japan, p. 85. More

Ten full-page brush & ink illus., highlighted in red. 26 folding leaves. 8vo (258 x175 mm.), orig. wrappers, new stitching. [Japan]: dated on final leaf “April 1685.”

This early manuscript on the use of needles in acupuncture contains family secrets, passed from one generation to another. The information comes from many sources including manuscripts from the highly respected Sanmi hogen (or Sani hogan) family of doctors. On the final page of the manuscript, we learn that Tsushin Tadateru Mizuno gave the information described here to Kihei Hirano.

The text begins with a discussion of the relationship between doctor and patient: they must deal with... More

Five full-page woodcut illus. Eight folding leaves (several split at fore-edges). 8vo, orig. wrappers (quite rubbed & somewhat worn, some occasional soiling), early manuscript title label on upper cover “Tanza ryu ekigoku byoketsu,” new stitching. Edo: Ichirobee Shokai, mid-Spring 1656.

First edition of this extremely rare and early acupuncture book describing the Tanza School of acupuncture’s techniques; WorldCat lists only the Kyoto University copy, which lacks the final leaf. This is one of the earliest books to be published by Ichirobee Shokai, one of the first commercial book publishers of Edo (see Kornicki, The Book in Japan, p. 200); Shokai’s first book... More

Woodcut printer’s device on title. 4 p.l. (last leaf a blank), 79 pp. Small 8vo, somewhat later vellum over boards. Bologna: J. Rubrius, 1564.

First edition of an extremely rare book in which Aranzi (1530-89), professor of anatomy at Bologna, describes his discovery of “the ductus venosus of the fetus that runs to the umbilical cord.”–Castiglioni, A History of Medicine, p. 428. He was the first to state the maternal and foetal circulations were separate, and found the highly oxygenated blood supply was connected from the placenta through the ductus venosus to the foetal circulation.

“His De Humano Foetu was an important book…he was the first to maintain that the maternal and foetal circulations are separate, but he naturally did not, and could not, speak of circulations, since he lived before Harvey. Nor could he have proved his point satisfactorily with the means then at his command, and, as we shall see, it was to take another century before the proof was given. Apart from this valuable contribution to embryology, Arantius gave some admirable anatomical descriptions of the foetal membranes.”–Garrison, A History of Embryology, p. 105. More

17 painted scenes, using brush and colors, on 63 pages. 34; 25; 22 folding leaves. Three vols. 8vo (270 x 187 mm.), orig. wrappers, modern stitching. [Japan]: late Edo.

This handsomely illustrated manuscript, written by Tsuki Shirai, describes and illustrates the famous hot springs of Atami (“hot ocean”), which have been known and appreciated since the 8th century. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), believed the springs of Atami were so beneficial to his health that he had quantities of the water transported to Edo.

These volumes are really a travel guide to Atami and the surrounding area. The first volume begins with an index to all three volumes... More

1 p.l., 3, [1], [v]-xx, 338 pp. 8vo, attractive antique blue morocco-backed marbled boards (title slightly browned), spine gilt. Paris: Tilliard Frères, Juin 1810.

The uncommon sale catalogue of the library of Fourcroy (1755-1809), the great chemist. The catalogue lists 2781 lots of which about 2000 are works on science and medicine. Many rare chemical books are listed. It is preceded by a biographical note including a bibliography of Fourcroy’s writings and a schedule of the sale. At the end, there is a 68-column index.

According to Peignot, the compiler of the catalogue was François Henri Stanislas de l’Aulnay (1739-1831), the author of... More

1 p.l., 109 pp. Small 8vo, attractive modern marbled wrappers. Berlin: 1815.

The very rare sale catalogue — Loh, Vol. 6, p. 102, locates no copy — of the fine scientific library of Meyer (1739-1811), owner of the Hof-Apotheke in Stettin. He studied chemistry in Berlin under J.H. Pott and A.S. Marggraf, and in 1764 he went to Uppsala University, where he studied botany with Linnaeus and possibly chemistry with J.G. Wallerius. In 1780 Meyer founded a distillery in Stettin to produce French-style brandy and liqueurs according to a process that he had developed in his apothecary shop.

This library of 2227 lots was an important collection of botanical, chemical, medical, and pharmaceutical texts, including all the works of “the chemical revolution.” More

95, [1] pp. 8vo, cont. vellum over boards (lower portion of spine neatly repaired at an early date, some occasional light browning and foxing as usual with this book). Vienna: J.T. Trattner, 1761.

First edition of the first book to suggest percussion of the chest as a diagnostic measure, “one of the greatest of all medical classics.”–Heirs of Hippocrates 954. “With the introduction of percussion of the chest, which offered a new and dependable method of diagnosing diseases of the heart and lungs in living persons, Leopold Auenbrugger made the first advance in physical diagnosis since the age of Hippocrates. The son... More

viii, 285 pp. 8vo, cont. blue boards (corners & head of spine a bit worn), spine gilt. Paris: P.D. Pierres, 1781.

First edition. “This government ordered study was undertaken to determine whether tin from various sources contains arsenic in large enough amounts to make the use of vessels of tin harmful to health. Bayen and Charlard (Rouelle had been named to work with them but he died before the work began) repeated the experiments of Marggraf and added new ones. Their conclusion was that tin contained no arsenic or only minute harmless traces. In the course of the many experiments the nature... More

xlii, one leaf of errata, 274 pp.; xx, 328 pp. Two vols. 8vo, cont. polished mottled calf (small inkstain to outer lower corner of the first 30 leaves), triple gilt fillet round sides, flat spines nicely gilt, red & green morocco lettering pieces on spines. Amsterdam: M.M. Rey, 1762.

First edition and a lovely set of this important work. Bonnet (1720-93), is considered one of the fathers of modern biology. He was an enthusiastic champion of preformation, the theory postulating that the animal already existed in miniature in the germ cell, which is first stated in this work. “Bonnet’s theory of generation offered the... More

Fine medallion woodcut port. of the author on verso of title, numerous woodcut illus. in the text, one folding woodcut plate (pp. 769-70) with the woodcut volvelle unassembled on a separate slip bound-in, & one folding printed table (pp. 790-91). 16 p.l. (the last a blank), 1194 (i.e. 1204), [64] pp. Thick 8vo, cont. blind-stamped panelled pigskin over wooden boards (some light dampstaining) by Hans Bopp of Nuremberg, orig. clasps & catches. Basel: [H. Petri], 1557.

Second edition (the first edition was published earlier in the same year) of Cardano’s second great encyclopedia of natural science; it is a continuation of and supplement to his... More

Large engraved vignette on title. Title in red & black. 8 p.l., 626, [69] pp. Folio, cont. blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, arms on covers effaced. Lyon: J. & P. Prost, 1636.

First edition, Schuh’s issue B (no stated priority) with the dedication to Charles de Neufville. “Very scarce. Compendium of all the author ever discovered or read about the subject of mineralogy. It was published posthumously from notes he left by his Order at Lyon six years after his death. Printed in a double column format in a relatively small type-size, the work is a vast storehouse of all things mineralogical, including new ideas... More