Anatomical Tables of the Human Body.

early american printing

A rare, early American abridged edition of this classic anatomical guide for students. No copies are recorded at auction since 2000.

William Cheselden (1688-1752) was one of the leading surgeons of the 18th century, and developed his own sophisticated techniques for procedures such as lithotomy (bladder stone extraction) and eye surgery. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, appointed surgeon to Queen Caroline, and attended Isaac Newton during his final illness. Alexander Pope described him as 'the most noted and deserving man in the whole of the profession of Chirurgery: and has saved the lives of thousands by his manner of cutting for the stone' (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

The Anatomy of the Human Body, first published in 1713, was 'a student's manual with plates, basic physiology, and operative surgery. It proved extremely popular, achieving thirteen London editions, lastly in 1792; from the fourth edition onwards an appendix of clinical information was added' (ODNB). The present abridged version contains 40 plates based on those in the original publication, covering every major organ system: the skeleton, muscles, digestive system, circulatory system, and reproductive organs, with the inclusion of several brief case histories.

Early US edition; 8vo (21 x 12.5 cm); 40 engraved plates, ownership ink stamp to the front free endpaper, contents foxed with some offsetting from the plates, splash marks to the early leaves, free endpapers and front blank slightly loose; contemporary calf, red morocco label, double gilt fillets to spine compartments, boards scuffed, very good condition; 46pp.