1945-1950. Collection of 40 ALS, of various sizes though predominantly 8vo, penned in a single neat hand in ink, sometimes on headed stationary, ranging in length, a few minor nicks, with some occasional light foxing and browning, final letter from 1950 the most foxed, together with accompanying addressed and stamped envelopes and one Christmas card; now housed within a custom-made ‘keepsake’ box. A fascinating, and often poignant, archive of letters penned over a five year period, between Josef ‘Joe’ Biel, and his friend Miss Betty Stanford, during which time Biel underwent a number of reconstructive surgical procedures under Sir Archibald McIndoe at the famous Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. In addition to giving occasional details of the procedures involved, the letters provide an invaluable and highly personal insight and account into the physical and mental effects this often long and painful restorative and recuperative process had upon Biel - no doubt a reflection of the experiences of the many others who similarly underwent, and ultimately benefited from, the pioneering work undertaken by McIndoe, all of whom became members of ‘The Guinea Pig Club’. Established in 1941, membership of this social club and mutual support network for British and allied aircrew injured during World War II, was made up of patients of McIndoe, all of whom underwent experimental reconstructive plastic surgery, including facial reconstruction, often after receiving burns injuries in aircraft. What began with 39 patients grew to 649 by the end of the war and included Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders as well as Americans, French, Czechs and Poles. His pioneering plastic surgery techniques restored function and gave hope to these young man with life-changing disfigurements, and with his encouragement, rather than hiding away with their injuries, most went on to lead full and active lives. The club remained active after the end of the war, and its annual reunion meetings continued until 2007.
Sergeant, later Warrant Officer Josef Biel sustained serious burns to his face and hands after his Spitfire was shot down by Anti Aircraft [flak] fire over France, some 12 km South of Lille July 8th 1941. He was immediately captured, and was treated in a German Military Hospital before being held for three and a half years as a P.O.W. In May 1945 he was repatriated to England and received treatment at The Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. In a letter to his mother, recorded in a photocopied document enclosed with the letters, he wrote “My face, my hands and my left leg were quite burned so I am still in hospital”.
Written over the course of five years, between 1945 and 1950, Biel’s letters to Miss Stanford include several references to the nine operations undergone at the Queen Victoria, and provide an insight into his mental state during this difficult time, often reflecting his bitterness at the Post war treatment of Polish pilots and his sense of loneliness and isolation during his slow return to health. The collection comprises ten letters written in 1945, eleven in 1946, nine in 1947, five in 1948, four in 1949 and finally a brief note written in 1950. Eleven were written at the Queen Victoria Hospital, twelve from RAF Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire, with the rest penned whilst staying in Plumstead, near Woolwich and finally Birmingham. As revealed in the letters, during his recuperation period, Biel studied at the Woolwich Polytechnic for 8 hours a day, often studying late into the night, though his progress was continually interrupted by time lost to operations, and as a result of the injuries suffered. The crash had damaged both his eyesight and his hands, and this five year period was also hard financially, Biel living on the breadline for much of it, and without any social life. Sometimes a little broken, his English is good on the whole, with only the occasional grammatical error. A true tale of endurance, his story ended happily however. By 1949 after years of struggle, he met and married another ‘Betty’, who had nursed him at East Grinstead, the couple moving to Birmingham where Biel was able to take up a job working in a metallurgical laboratory on microanalysis of aluminium and its alloys.
A more detailed list of transcriptions is available, but included below is a selection offering an insight into his experiences.
[5.8.45] “Last week I have been in East Grinstead and I had an interview with my doctor and on the 3rd Sept I am going to his hospital for my beauty treatment. I did like this hospital as there is no military discipline and there are quite a few good looking nurses (London girls). Every week in the re-convalescence part of the hospital the patients have got dancing and the nurses join them. All the drinks are free!”
[21.8.45] “I am trying to eliminate this attitude of disappointment and bitterness because I know it is tragic when one allows bitterness and frustration dominate one’s thoughts. As I told you I realise that there is no justice. This is one of the most painful lessons idealists learn sooner or later. That there is no justice is a fact about which I no longer despair”
[10.9.45] “I am in the hospital already. I am well and in good spirits, waiting for my beauty treatment. I expected to have an operation last week but it has been postponed indefinitely as they are reorganising hospital … it is very nice here and everybody is very kind to me. The people in the town are very hospitable so I go out practically every night” (East Grinstead became known as ‘The Town That Doesn’t Stare’)
[23.8.46 Q.V. Hospital] “The head surgeon Mr McIndoe is at present operating in Sweden so I was examined this morning by S/L Moor and told that I shall be operated upon on Tuesday. I don’t know yet who will be operating on me but most probably S/L Moor or a Polish doctor. They are both very good. Polish doctor who is at present sick saw me last night, we had a long talk, and he examined me and said that he will fix me properly. They are going to lift up my both eyelids at the same time so I shall be blind for about four or five days”
[8.9.46 Q.V. Hospital] “My left eye is still covered and my right eye doesn’t feel too comfortable yet but I can read a bit. Anyhow I am very pleased to tell you that my operation was successful and at last I am able to close my eyes properly; my nose has healed nicely and the left hand is doing quite well. I had comparatively a very easy time after operation though I was blind for nine days … A Polish surgeon operated on me; he took two pieces of skin from behind my ears and grafted them under the eyes; the grafted skin has taken nicely and it looks quite nice already. The eyelids have perfect shape again. They opened my right nostril and done a L-plastic on my left hand. I have to say that I am very pleased with his work on me. He says that I shall be a smart looking boy when he finishes with me. I am going to stay here perhaps two more weeks and then I am going on leave. After my leave I shall come back here to get a nice pair of eyebrows”
[3.11.46] “I had to leave hospital a bit earlier than I ought to and my right eyebrow is not doing too well; it got a bit septic; the left one looks very nice. I do hope that the right one will improve soon”
[9.1.47] “I am very sorry for not having written to you in so long but my eyes were very bad and for about two weeks I hardly could see. I have to tell you (to avoid a lecture on eyesight) that my eyes went bad as a result of my accident in the Air Force, and the eye-specialist told me that this may happen from time to time…At last I am on unpaid leave from the Air Force but I have to sign to the Resettlement Corps”
[31.1.47] “I am rather fed up as everything is against me just in time when ought to work hard; even my watch has stopped. In spite of that I am not going to surrender but will try to make up for the lost time and work harder as soon as I am old myself again... I have signed to the Resettlement Corps, and I am on unpaid leave for educational purposes with Home Office Consent... I have signed for two years, and what is the next step I don’t really want to think about it. There is one think [sic] I am sure of, that I am not going to Poland as I would have to go there for ten years to prison; signing to the Resettlement Corps I confirmed that sentence given by Warsaw Communists. Life is bitter and I am more often hesitating if it is worth living; Let’s hope the future is brighter than the presence”
[7.8.47 Q.V. Hospital] “I have been in hospital since 28th July and that I have had my operation on July 30th. This time they grafted one piece of my ear on the right side of my nose but I nearly lost the graft as the wound was bleeding for four days. Using all sorts of tricks my doctor won the battle for the nose which now looks quite nice”
[24.1.48] “I left hospital on the Jan 10th and had a week rest in Lincoln. I spent 8 weeks in hospital and had one operation which was successful though after that operation I was feeling very badly; I never felt worse and I thought I was going to leave this earthly sphere of misery to start another life. Anyway I survived and I have to go to East Grinstead once more in summertime. I spent Xmas in hospital and had quite nice time under the circumstances; plenty of food and drink and Sir Archibald McIndoe done all the carving for us with an expert hand; he also dined with us and after dinner he played the piano for us. Most of the time at Xmas I spent in a wheelchair but on New Years eve I went out as I wanted to get drunk”
[12.2.49 Q.V. Hospital] “As for me, I am still in hospital and last Thursday I had my last operation; this was definitely last one, and next week I shall be out of hospital for good so I won’t be able to see your friend here … I am going to my station to be invalided out and then I shall be looking to earn my living. I have a job in Birmingham to go to but I don’t think I can cope with it at present as my left hand is of not much use since I had a new graft put on it. I shall find a big improvement after two or three months. I was absolutely mad two weeks ago as they wanted to discharge me without giving me invaliding board; anyway I managed to persuade them but I am still anticipating trouble”
[12.9.49] “so your friend is a ‘friend of Guinea Pigs’; I seem to know her name (as I was in East Grinstead in 1945 for three weeks) but I don’t remember her as I didn’t recognise her at our dance … I enjoyed the Guinea Pig dance as well as the Annual Dinner in spite of the fact that I had a headache for three days after these celebrations as I drunk more than ever … I have another surprise for you yet; I am about to be engaged to a girl who was nursing me in East Grinstead. Her name is Betty as well and she is now a sister in East Grinstead; so I can’t say anymore that nobody loves me”
With thanks to John Langdon and John Underwood for the transcriptions. Also included with the archive is a collection of photocopies of papers relating to Biel and his crash, his imprisonment at Stalag 8, and his entry in the Guinea Pig Club roll of honour held by the East Grinstead Museum.

1928. 8vo, pp. xvi, 202, [1] limitation statement; with one folding engraved plate (slight offsetting onto text); some occasional minor marginal browning; uncut and partially unopened in the original ochre goatskin, ruled in gilt, top edge gilt, spine a little darkened in places, covers with some light spotting and soiling, and small dink on lower cover, with usual browning of endpapers from turn-ins, and turn-ins themselves slightly soiled; with a number of contemporary and later newspaper and catalogue clippings relating to William Harvey and this edition, loosely inserted by a previous owner; a good copy. Number 1249 (of 1450 copies) of the finely printed Nonesuch Press edition, issued to celebrate the tercentenary of the printing of the first edition of the most famous book in the history of medicine. This is the only modern edition of the 1653 text of the De motu cordis - which had been the first English edition of Harvey's seminal work on the circulation of the blood. Printed on handmade Van Gelder paper by Joh. Enschede en Zonen in Haarlem, the engraved folding plate is by Charles Sigrist after a drawing by Stephen Gooden.

[ca. 1840-45]. Single sheet, 23 cm x 13 cm, printed on silk on one side; some very minor fraying to edges, and very slightly darkened, but otherwise in fine condition. A celebrated pianist, composer and inventor, Henri Herz (1803-1888), Austrian by birth but French by nationality and domicile, travelled world-wide, including tours in Europe, Russia, Mexico, South America, and the United States. In 1839 he founded his own piano factory where he made many important developments in piano design.
This luxuriously produced announcement, printed on silk, seems to be for a performance by some sort of mechanical musical instrument, using cylinders which were "changed through the medium of the patent dials." According to the flier, the two cylinders were capable of performing "8 operatic airs," and "5 quadrilles and 3 waltzes." We have so far been able to identify the machine in question, although Herz made improvements, and patented designs for various sostenente (or sostinente) pianos - the name given to keyboard instruments on which the duration of sounds is artificially lengthened by methods such as compressed air, the quick striking of hammers, free sounding reeds, or by other clockwork or mechanical devices. The first known example was invented by Henry Robert Mott of Brighton in 1817. Herz worked upon sostenente piano mechanisms using both compressed air (obtained by means of bellows moved by pedals or a motor and which is directed upon already vibrating strings in order to prolong the vibration), notably his ‘pianoeolique’, as well as a ‘melopiano’, a method of sustaining tones through the repeated and quick striking of hammers. Fast rotating cylinders were one way of achieving this.
This appealing silk promotional flier has been printed by the artist and engraver George Phillips Johnson (1807?-1848).

1880. Single sheet of thick artist paper, 315 x 245mm, with central oval view of Bad Schoenbrunn done in watercolour, surrounded by a series of satirical black and white silhouette sketches and vignettes seemingly engraved, though possibly executed in pen and ink; print mounted on card 435 x 345mm; small correction made to the lower central silhouette, with what appears to be a very small photograph image of the head of Peter Joseph Hegglin, pasted on to replace original image; some light spotting and browning, otherwise very striking. An enchanting and unique ‘souvenir’ from the famous health resort of Bad Schönbrunn in Menzingen. Sadly anonymous, and seemingly executed at the turn of the century, the striking broadside comprises an appealing central watercolour vignette of the Spa buildings, set against an idyllic background of rolling hills, woodland and distant snow-capped mountains. This vignette is surrounded by a series of black and white silhouette vignettes, seemingly engraved, though resembling pen and ink drawings. Through this series of enchanting scenes, we are shown a number of the diversions, healthy activities, and treatments, on offer at the Spa. Those at the head of the broadside represent some of the outdoor and leisure activities available to patrons, including gentle walks in the countryside, a game of skittles, three men enjoying a game of billiards, musical soirees, painting, and nature watching. The silhouettes below the central oval focus more upon the treatments, a rather startled looking figure enduring various cold showers, towel wraps, and cold water hosing.
Two figures can be seen at the tail of the image - one seemingly taking the pulse of the other, as he is holding a pocket watch in his hand. Above the two figures flies a wreath-bearing dove. Of added appeal, the head of the ‘doctor’ has been replaced with what appears to be a very small original photograph image. We presume this to be that of Peter Joseph Hegglin (1832-1893) himself, the founder of the Spa in 1857, although it could also be his son Joseph Hegglin-Kerckhoffs (1862-1920) who appears to have taken over the running of the establishment. It eventually closed in 1926.
Sadly anonymous, the impression is that this wonderful ‘souvenir’ has been created by a previous patient ‘now on the mend’, and who has perhaps had a small number of these engravings published to give as gifts to his fellow patients and the good Doctor. A unique and most charming depiction.
Two further attractive watercolour depiction's of the Spa are included with this image.

1931]. Five volumes, 4to; I. pp. viii, 272, with 20 plates on ten leaves (one coloured); II. pp. vi, 364, with 36 plates on 18 leaves (of which 4 coloured), with three advertisements loosely inserted; III. pp. vi, 364, with 35 plates on 23 leaves (of which one double-page, and 20 coloured), and with slip pasted in at p. 111, plate XII somewhat browned; IV. pp. viii, 335, [1] with 33 plates on 20 leaves (of which one double-page, three folding, and 12 coloured), with one advertisement slipped in; V. pp. viii, 267, [1], with 23 plates on 15 leaves (of which 13 coloured, and one with an overlay), with two advertisements loosely inserted, and with large folding chromolithograph plate printed by Fricke & Co., ‘Des Mensch als Industriepalast’ 98 x 49cms, housed within pocket at rear, together with accompanying 12pp pamphlet ‘Des Mensch als Industriepalast’, and a further folding plate ‘Stammbaum des Menschen’, and a pair of 3-D glasses to be used with plates IX and X; some occasional light foxing and browning through all volumes due to paper quality, with some occasional light marginal dampstaining, but otherwise generally clean and crisp; an appealing set in the original blue publisher’s cloth, with title in blind on upper cover, and spines lettered in gilt, spines all slightly sunned, with some light rubbed to head and tails of spines and to joints (more noticeably Vols I. & II.), covers all a little sunned and foxed, extremities lightly rubbed. A fine set, all in first edition, of this copiously illustrated five volume work on the inner workings of the human body, published over a decade by the noted German gynaecologist and science author Fritz Kahn (1888-1968), and unusually retaining the original famous anatomical wall chart, ‘Der Mensch als Industriepalast’ or the ‘Human Industrial Palace’, as well as the pair of 3D glasses to be used with plates IX and X in the final volume.
Kahn developed a sophisticated graphic analogy between anatomy and machinery. His modernist visualization of the digestive and respiratory system as “industrial palace”, really a chemical plant, was conceived at the height of Weimar Germany’s rapid and advanced industrialisation, in conjunction with the artistic experimentation of the Bauhaus and Dada movements. The resulting illustrative style remains as evocative today as it was nearly a century ago. ‘Das Leben des Menschen’ or ‘The Life of Man’, was published between 1922 and 1931, using ‘visual metaphors drawn from industrial society - assembly lines, internal combustion engines, refineries, dynamos, telephones, etc. The body in Kahn’s work was “modern” and productive, a theme visually emphasized through his use of modernist art styles. Though his books sold well, his Jewishness and public advocacy of progressive reform made him a target for Nazi attacks’ (Sappol, Dream Anatomy, p. 144). “Prolonged by the inflation crisis of 1923 and the economic depression at the end of the 1920s, but also by the difficulties of containing the increasingly extensive material in the initially planned volumes, the book finally amounted to more than 1,600 pages, with the last of its fifty binders issued and distributed in 1931, a decade after the start of the project. More than a thousand illustrations were included in the five volumes, and almost 150 colour plates” (Borck, "Communicating the Modern Body", Canadian Journal of Communications). Kahn continued to publish, relocating to Palestine and Paris before escaping to the USA with the help of Albert Einstein.
‘In 1951, an example of [Kahn’s] poster was selected by Barbara Jones to feature in her exhibition of popular art at the Whitechapel entitled ‘Black Eyes and Lemonade’. Eduardo Paolozzi is understood to have visited the exhibition and viewed Kahn’s print. Paolozzi later produced the series “Secrets of Life - the Human Machine and How it works” which was inspired by the graphic works of Fritz Kahn’ (Christies Sale 9935, lot 132, 2013). It was presumably at this stage that it came to the attention of Adam Rouilly & Company, the famous London manufacturers of medical teaching aids, and who published their own version of the chart. It was to later inspire in 2006 the German artist Henning Lederer to create an interactive and animated installation based upon the poster.
The first three volumes went through a number of editions, Kahn taking the opportunity to revise the works as subsequent volumes were published, amending some of the images included. Having previously now held a couple of sets, it would appear that even the later editions also include some variations, predominantly in the number of coloured images included - suggesting once again constant revision by Kahn.
A copy of the famous image made $3750 in the Dean Edell Anatomy as Art sale, (Christies, October 5th, 2007, lot 224). Another realised £3750 at the Out of the Ordinary Sale (CSK September 5th, 2013, lot 132). The imprints also display some variants, with the present example reading: ‘Aus Kahn, Das Leben des Menschen/Franckh’sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart/Offsetdruckerei Fricke & Co. Stuttgart’ (the Edell example read ‘Beitrage zu Kahn, Das Leben des Menschen/Franck’schen Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart).

1804. Small folio, pp. [iv], 22, 28; pp. 21-22 bound upside down; title-page with light dampstain, with some light browning and soiling throughout, but generally clean and crisp; old library stamp on verso of title-page, crossed out with crayon and which has caused a small paper tear; in contemporary tan paste-paper boards, paper label on spine lettered in black, label slightly chipped, head and tail of spine a little worn, with further light scuffing and wear to spine and covers, some light spotting and soiling, extremities a little bumped and worn; still a good copy. Scarce and attractively printed work of factors and prime numbers, published by the noted educator and philosopher Karl Christian Krause (1781-1832). In this, one of his first works, Krause presents a table of 22 pages showing all products <100 000 of two primes, a table of primes <100 000 with letters for 01, 03,..., 99, and (pp. 25-28) a factor table to 10000 by use of letters for numbers <100.
‘In his introduction, Krause mentions the tables of Lambert [10] and Felkel [2,3,4,5], and he understands the objections towards the use of letters for numbers which was favoured by Felkel. He nevertheless decided to provide his two short tables, in order to show that letters can be used more conveniently than in Felkel’s table. The main tables in Krause’s book, however, do not use letters. Krause wrote that his tables were computed (neuberechnet), and presumably not copied, although he certainly compared his tables with earlier ones.’ (Roegel, A reconstruction of Krause’s table of factors, p. 3).
Krause studied philosophy and mathematics at the University of Jena under Fichte and Schelling. He later went to Berlin, Göttingen (where he was one of Schopenhauer’s teachers), and Munich. One of the early natural philosophers, his “Krausismo” philosophical system influenced the theories of Kant and Hegel, and during the 19th century he was regarded as one of the most important of the German philosophers, his system attracting particular attention in France and Spain.

1745. Large copper engraved illustrated broadside, mounted on later paper; mount size 482 x 357mm, engraved surface 455 x 341mm, trimmed to within plate mark; with 7cm tear repaired at top left hand side but without loss of image, engraving a little foxed and soiled, but generally a clean example. As the first major bridge built over an English river for more than a century, and only the second masonry bridge over the Thames, plans for the Westminster Bridge immediately attracted great attention. Though the act of parliament granting building permission was passed in 1736, it was not until May 1738 that the Swiss engineer, architect and mathematician Charles Labelye (1705-1781?) was appointed as “chief engineer”, a move that was to cause great hostility amongst the unsuccessful English engineers. The initial design was for a timber superstructure with stone piers and abutments. This was abandoned after damage to the works caused by the severe winter of 1739-40, during which the Thames froze solid. All 140 wooden piles were destroyed. So Labelye produced a design for a Portland stone bridge with 13 large semicircular arches and two small, and work recommenced. Though blighted by delays and controversy, and indeed dubbed by some as the 'Bridge of Fools', it eventually received considerable praise for its elegant structure when it opened on November 18th 1750. The Gentleman's Magazine described it as “a very great ornament to our metropolis, and will be looked on with pleasure or envy by all foreigners. The surprising echo in the arches, brings much company with French horns to entertain themselves under it in summer; and with the upper part, for an agreeable airing, none of the publick walks or gardens can stand in competition.” The project in particular is noted for Labelye’s invention of caissons to support the bridge during construction. These were huge boxes built onshore and then floated into position, and then 'sunk until the bottom rested on the bed of the river, a cavity having been previously excavated for their reception. The pier was then built in the caisson, and when it had reached above the level of high water the sides were removed.. The first pile was driven on 13 Sept. 1738, and the first caisson launched on 15 Jan. of the following year..' (DNB).
At the time of the present engraving, work on the bridge was well underway, though subsidence damage to an arch two years later was to set back the opening for nearly four years. The inventor of the present ‘Engine’ for ‘sawing off under water’, William Etheridge (1709-1776) was a skilled carpenter, engineer and architect from Suffolk, who worked as foreman under the master carpenter, James King, on the project, subsequently replacing him after King’s death in 1744. As well as the underwater saw, Etheridge also invented a battering ram to help strike the centres. He also worked on the Walton Bridge and designed Queens' Bridge in Cambridge. His name and profession has been added by hand to the dedication.

1899. Large 8vo, pp. vi, 751; with numerous diagrams and half-tone illustrations; a little minor soiling, but otherwise clean and crisp; in contemporary grey publisher's cloth, lettered and ruled in black and gilt, with red skivver label on spine (chipped with some loss), a little shaken but holding, extremities a little rubbed, worn and bumped; still a good copy. Uncommon first edition of this detailed and comprehensive guide to emergency surgery, for both surgeons and general practitioners alike. Deliberately devoid of theoretical discussion, Lejars instead provides clear and practical advice on the various emergency procedures, and instruments to be used, the whole work copiously illustrated to aid the practitioner. The work proved extremely popular, going through several editions, and indeed Lejars became a renowned surgeon during the first World War.

1883. 4to, pp. [iv], [204]; copiously illustrated throughout, each of the 100 chapters illustrated with one full page steel engraving facing the text, and usually a further small engraving within text page; with some occasional light foxing throughout and some faint marginal browning, but otherwise clean and bright; in the original blindstamped decorative green cloth, upper cover lettered in gilt with title within round floral wreath, boards with bevelled edges, head and tail of spine a little bumped and knocked, covers and spine with some minor spotting and scuffing, extremities a little bumped; a very good copy. First edition of this little-known and most attractively produced, late 19th century popular work of science, copiously illustrated with finely executed steel engravings.
Lévy devotes two pages to each of his chosen one hundred scientific ‘tableaux’, with a page of descriptive text to the left (often with inserted engraving), opposite a striking full-page steel engraving. Somewhat informally organised, he breaks up the volume as it were, into the twelve months of the year, devoting two pates to each month and providing the reader with an insight facts such average temperatures, hours of day-light, associated traditions, festivals, saint’s-day, together with an appealing allegorical plate.
The work includes for discussion scientific discoveries such as the diffraction of light, those of Torricelli and Archimedes, hot-air balloon flight, and the telescope. Lévy also describes the work of great scientists such as Aristotle, Galileo, Papin, Newton, Pythagoras, Euclid, Copernicus and Descartes. Rather portentously, the penultimate ‘tableaux’ addresses the question whether the end of the world is nigh - though as Lévy notes, various prognostications throughout history have so far come to nothing, and he concludes with the exhortation to ‘banish chimerical fears, leave aside these vain terrors, and let us only occupy ourselves with living well and with dignity’.
The BnF describe Albert Lévy (1844-1907) as ‘Physicien. - Directeur du service chimique à l'Observatoire de Montsouris (en 1894)’. From 1887 he ran a chemistry course at the Faculty of Science in Clermont, and later worked as a meteorologist at the Montsouris observatory and then in the Central Meteorological Office. He published a number of educational works.

1835. Small 8vo, pp. viii, 86, with a number of small woodcuts; title page a little soiled with some light paper abrasion at upper margin, lightly browned throughout, particularly at margins; uncut in the original green pebble-grained cloth, with printed paper label on upper cover (somewhat soiled), and remains of paper label along spine, joints and head and tail of spine neatly repaired. First edition of this uncommon introduction to the fibrous structures in particular, by Alexander M’Nab, Jun ‘Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London’. According to the preface, Macnab has drawn upon more ‘voluminous works’, and hopes that his abridged compilation will provide a more accessible work for those ‘unable to conveniently to peruse more elaborate productions’. The woodcuts are apparently by ‘Mr Berryman’, and although as far as we can tell, Macnab makes no direction citation from other works, he does refer to case histories as described by physicians both in England, Europe and America, including ‘Dr. Kirkbride, resident physician of the Pennsylvania Hospital’, (p. 22) ‘Dr. Warren of Boston’ (p. 23), Dupuytren (p. 23), Bichat (p. 56) Delpech (p. 65) and ‘Mr. Hunter’ (p. 62) as well as a number of cases highlighted in the Medical Gazette.

1825. Two volumes, 12mo; pp. vi, 248, with five hand-coloured engraved plates; pp. 250 (though 248 as no pp. 156-7 through pagination error), with seven uncoloured engraved plates; some light foxing and spotting throughout, with some occasional marginal tears, lower corner of p. 141 in Vol. I torn with loss; in the original green printed paper wrappers, with waste-paper pastedowns, head and tail of both spines lightly worn with slight loss, upper joint of Vol. 1 split and a little fragile but holding, with further light cracking to spine, some light spotting and soiling to covers, extremities a little dog-eared, but overall an appealing, unsophisticated copy. Second expanded edition (first 1821) in the original printed wrappers, of this attractively illustrated work for young children, introducing them to the manners, customs, wonders, and curiosities of the nations of the world - an uncommon contribution to what was an extremely popular genre at the beginning of the 19th century, which saw many such elementary illustrated works introducing readers to the geographical world.
Very much of its time, the racial stereotyping and fascination with foreign civilisations makes for somewhat uncomfortable reading today, but nevertheless highlights early 19th European perceptions of the world. Tome I deals with Europe and the Far East, and includes five hand-coloured plates. Tome II, in this instance uncoloured, points the reader towards Asia, Africa, and with a detailed section on North and South America, and including depictions’ of Native Americans, Native Canadians, and Native Californians.
The work first appeared in 1821, and according to the copy at the BnF was ascribed on the title-page ‘Par P.C.’ - though they give no suggestion as to the author’s identity. Of interest, the imprint for the 1821 edition was ‘Chez Lécrivain’. No initials are given in this second, revised edition, here published by Salmon. The BnF also hold another variant copy, undated and with the publisher imprint of Roret, but bearing the same collation.

1788.]. Small 8vo, pp. 72, [14] blank; pre-printed service or record book to be completed; title-page filled in in a contemporary hand in brown ink, otherwise unused, aside from some doodling on p. 46-7, 66-7, and in pencil on p. 71-72, with the first four final blank leaves ruled in pencil to form a grid, and which has been used; contemporary stiff vellum with closing fore-edge envelope flap, retaining part of the closing cord, title in manuscript (?) in black on upper cover, with small royal arms in black at centre of rear cover, some small wormholes evident in spine, covers somewhat soiled, with small loss of vellum to envelope flap edge; a little dog-eared but an unusual survivor. A scarce survivor, a pre-printed personal service record book belonging to Jean-Bernard Bouën, born in Verdun in 1767, and who became a classified or registered ‘gens de mer’ on in 1787.
During the 17th century, several seafaring nations used forced recruitment or impressment (better known as ‘press-ganging’) to crew their Royal warships. Although the British Royal Navy continued to impress many merchant sailors well into the 19th century, in 1669-70 France created a system of maritime registration or ‘L’Institution du service des classes’, under the auspices of Louis XIV’s minister of finances Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), thus becoming the first of the great naval powers to establish a permanent force of regular navy personnel. All men 18 years and above, who lived in or near coastal towns, and who were employed as fishermen, merchant crewmen and officers, were required to register on the rôle des gens de mer, and were divided into ‘classes’, each of which was required to serve a year in the King’s Navy every three, four or five years depending on the size of the district. This ‘inscription maritime’ was a broad, comprehensive code, which established standards of recruitment, pay, and benefits which in theory helped to build confidence and unity among newly enlisted sailors. ‘The navy maintained seamen not needed to commission warships during their year of service, theoretically, on half-pay: however, they were forbidden to sign on merchant ships. The Crown gave “classed” men various privileges in return for this perpetual commitment: exemption from certain taxes... and eligibility to receive money from the Caisse des invalides, a royal fund for invalid seamen or the families of those lost at sea.’ (Cormack, p. 23). Each coastal province was overseen by a class commissionaire, who kept a record of whether they were officers, sailors, or seafarers, together with names, age, address, qualities and description of the registrant, as well as keeping a record of any dependants. As Cormack goes on to discuss however, although this ‘class system’ was intended to place all of the maritime population at the navy’s disposal, it was constantly unable to supply crews needed for the commissioning of warships throughout the 18th century. He cites a number of possible reasons for this. Many preferred to work for privateers, whilst the mortality rate for sailors on long voyages was also high. The French navy was also frequently unable to pay its crews, and so consequently, many seamen did all that they could to resist conscription or to desert. The system was eventually reformed after the French Revolution in 1795, although some form of maritime inscription lasted until 1965.
The survival of such personal record books, by their very nature, appears to be unusual, no doubt potentially exposed to all weathers and conditions. Pierre Loti, in his work Le Matelot of 1893, includes a paragraph referring to a similar notebook: ‘Le livret de marin de mon frère Yves ressemble à tous les autres livrets de tous les autres marins. Il est recouvert d'un papier parchemin de couleur jaune, et, comme il a beaucoup voyagé sur la mer, dans différents caissons de navires, il manque absolument de fraîcheur’.
The booklet is divided into three sections. The first template page provides space for the owner to give their own details. This is followed by the ‘Instruction sur les devoirs des gens classés, leurs exemptions & privilèges’, according to recent reforms set into law on October 31st 1784. The remainder of the note book provides space to detail the owner’s various assignments, commissions on Royal vessels, and on other authorised voyages and navigation's.
For whatever reason, Bouën has filled in very little of his notebook, aside from his own personal details, and what appears to be the name of a vessel on p. 66. A number of the blank leaves at the end have been used, completed in pencil to form a grid of some sort, and which we have failed to decipher - although some look suspiciously like the doodling of a young child. Having signed up only two years before the start of the Revolution, it seems quite possible that larger events overtook him. Nevertheless, a scarce and appealing example from the last days of the Ancien Regime.

1832. 12mo, pp. vi, 82; lightly browned throughout, with some soiling, and occasional pencil marks to margins; in modern marbled boards with printed paper label on spine. First edition of this scarce portable pharmacopoeia, aim in particular for the use of medical students. ‘Very few physicians or surgeons are in the habit of writing their prescriptions at length, consequently those who dispense medicines ought to be at once able to understand the meaning of every variety of abbreviation employed in prescribing, otherwise mistakes must frequently occur, that will sometimes be attended with serious if not fatal consequences. The Court of Examiners at Apothecaries Hall have therefore very properly determined, that every candidate for a certificate to enable him to practise Pharmacy and Medicine, shall be strictly examined as to his capability of reading Physicians’ prescriptions’ (Introduction).
Little information seems readily available about Maugham. Despite his use of the title of ‘Surgeon’ he is not mentioned by Plarr, Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons. His other published works also seem scarce, each being printed in a single edition. The include The Pupil’s Pharmacopoeia (1824); and The London Manual of Medical Chemistry (1831) and not listed by Cole.

1873. 8vo, pp. 32; with a blank temperature chart loosely inserted; with printer’s device on title-page; somewhat browned and foxed throughout due to paper quality, gutters exposed in a couple of places, notably between pp. 4-5, lower gutter chipped with some loss, corners a little furled; in the original printed wrappers, spine with old tape repair, though with loss at tail, upper lower corner repaired with tape, covers quite foxed and soiled with two ring marks on upper cover, two labels along spine, and accession number? in blue crayon on upper cover; a little fragile, but sound. An unusual and scarce insight into the attempted regulation of medical fees in Turin at the end of the nineteenth century. A suggested tariff for the services of physicians, surgeons, phlebotomists, midwives and veterinarians was first compiled by the Consiglio Superiore di Sanità in 1852. The preface notes, however, that in the intervening period the prices of most necessary things have more than doubled, in line with an increased general prosperity throughout all walks and classes of society. It is therefore deemed fair and necessary that professional medical fees should also increase, and thus the present guide has been issued. In no way a legal document, the tariff is merely a guideline, showing an average of what one might expect to pay. An extensive list of common medical consultations and procedures then follows.
Also of interest is the Obstetrical Calendar that is included from pp. 24 onwards. Compiled by Professor Domenico of the Turin Obstetrical Clinic, the year long calendar gives two columns for each month showing the date of last menstruation and corresponding expected date of delivery. Loosely inserted is also a blank temperature chart to be filled in.

1892. Drawn and printed on card in the shape of a skull, ff. 4; front cover seemingly in manuscript in pen and ink, followed by two leaves of printed text including menu, lists of toasts, and ‘In Memoriam’, with final blank leaf signed on both sides by all participants in pencil or ink; evidence of previous mount on back cover, with some minor staining and creasing in places, otherwise very good; held together by mauve and yellow ribbon. A wonderful piece of medical ephemera, relating to one of the early fraternities at the University of Pennsylvania. Founded in January 1891, this striking privately printed menu card was produced for the second annual dinner of the ‘Alpha Mu Pi Omega’ medical fraternity. The front cover appears to have been executed by hand in pen and ink (possibly by a member of the Art Club?), and is followed by the printed menu, list of toasts, and brief list of ‘Our departed Members’.
Participating members at the banquet include: Samuel D. Risley (toast master, signed); William E. Robertson (one of the founding members and a speaker, signed); Frederick Wilson (one of the founding members, signed); Aaron M. Billstein (one of the founding members, signed); Harrison Allen (speaker, signed); James F. Leys (speaker, signed); James B. Walker (speaker, signed); Sydney M. Cone (speaker, signed); with a further 22 signatures, including those of other founding members such as Arthur J. Patek.

1677. 12mo, pp. [xii], 370, [2]; with small printer’s device on title-page signed ‘DF’, and woodcut head-pieces and initials; small wormhole in lower outer margin running from title-page to p. 190, with some occasional minor spotting and soiling; contemporary calf, spine in compartments with raised bands, ruled and lettered in gilt, with red sprinkled edges, head and tail of spine chipped and worn, exposing headbands at head, upper joint split at tail, covers a little scuffed, corners worn; contemporary bookseller’s ticket of Laurent d’Houry, Paris, on front pastedown, contemporary ownership inscription on front free endpaper, and later bookplate of Dr. J. Pyenneville, Rouen. First edition of this series of philosophical dialogues between Cariste, a cleric and advocate, Cleante, a gentleman, and Sosandre, a well-known doctor. Inspired by, and indeed citing the works of Molière, most notably ‘Tartuffe’ and his ‘Malade Imaginaire’ (during a performance of which in 1673 Moliere fell ill and later died), the three main protagonists partake in a series of satirical exchanges during which Sosandre defends his profession. The author Bezancon, himself a physician and the author of two further works, insists that he is no apologist for medicine, however, and that the reader must decide for themselves whether Sosandre’s replies are reasonable. A number of philosophers, both ancient and modern, are cites throughout including Montaigne and de Thou.
The work was translated into Italian in the following year.

1924-1931. Large oblong album 36 x 51 cms; ff. 10 leaves of black card mounts, of which 7 have been used, and including 111 photographs of varying sizes, some in sepia, 11 of which are commercial images of Haarlem, and the two largest images loosely inserted at the end; one of two images with slight creasing and edge wear, though all crisp images, and each with a neat hand-written caption below in white pencil; bound in an attractive decorative silk covered album in a cubist style, retaining the original silk ties, head and tail of spine a little worn with some minor loss and fraying, with faint dampstaining visible on covers, and further light fraying and wear to extremities and corners; a most striking item. A most striking album recording the experiences of a nurse working at the St. Elisabeth Hospital (‘Gasthuis’) for the poor in Haarlem between 1924-1931.
The hospital was officially founded in 1581 when the Protestant city council took over the running of a hospice previously run by the Franciscan monastery. Its purpose was to provide care for the sick poor of the city who did not required isolation, and it remained in operation until WWII, going through several major renovations over the centuries.
This meticulously and attractive album provides a wonderful insight into this famous hospital, which thanks to a number of commissions to local artists over the centuries, for many years owned an imposing art collection, including works by Frans Hals, Jan Cornelisz Verspronck and Frans Decker. In 2012 eleven works were formally signed over to the Frans Hals Museum, which already held a number of items on loan. Nearly 40 of the photographs included in the album depict the nurses either at work, or else relaxing in groups, with thirteen of the images recording some of the patients, a number of whom appear to be suffering from mental illness. All aspects of life in the hospital are depicted, the compiler including images of porters, the laundry staff, life in the kitchens as well as a group of ‘kuipers’ or ‘coopers’ who may well be patients who were well enough to work. A whole page is devoted to a series of commercial images of famous sights and buildings in Haarlem itself, with a number of shots showing the nurses enjoying the surrounding countryside. A most appealing item.

1871. 8vo, pp. xvi, 10; with fiven engraved architectural plans (one folding), and smaller plans within text, and numerous statistical tables; a number of early preliminary leaves discretely strengthened at gutter; lightly browned throughout, a couple of the plates slightly shaved along fore-edge clipping a couple of letters; ex-libris from Battersea Public Library, with their stamp on verso of plates, and at head of p. 1, tail of p. 99, and on final leaf; in modern black cloth, with red morocco label lettered in gilt on spine; with later book-plate of Margaret Yvonne Williams mounted on verso of title-page. First edition of this rare volume. In 1860 Nightingale laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. It was the first secular nursing school in the world, now part of King’s College London. The following year Nightingale secured funding to train midwives for service among the poor, and arranged for suitable young women to receive six months practical training in midwifery by professional physician-accoucheurs. This training programme continued for six years but was abandoned after an epidemic of puerperal fever – the greatest post-natal killer of the nineteenth century. A vicious and usually fatal form of septicaemia, puerperal or childbed fever was known to occur in maternity hospitals far more frequently than at home births, and to spread faster in crowded wards than in those with fewer patients. Its cause was unknown.
Already interested in hospital design, this unfortunately event, along with the discovery that no trustworthy statistics of mortality of ‘lying-in institutions’ existed, prompted Nightingale to embark on gathering the facts presented in the current rare volume. From 1868 she constantly badgered Douglas Galton, Sutherland, Farr and many others to obtain the necessary facts and data to produce this, the most detailed work on the subject to have been published up to that time. In this precise statistical analysis of the facts, gathered from several sources across the major cites of Europe, Nightingale explores the mystery of puerperal fever and its possible causes. The work discusses the maternal death statistics of lying-in institutions and makes suggestions, with accompanying plans, for changes to hospital layouts to help prevent cross-infection between patients, and thus reduce maternal deaths, in particular stressing the necessity of good ventilation and condemning those hospitals with overcrowded wards. Published in 1871, just before Pasteur’s work on germ theory proved that the problem could be all but eradicated if doctors washed their hands more rigourously, this work remains clear, scholarly and engaging, and was widely well received, and proved instrument in helping popularise the graphical presentation of statistical data.

2018. Large 4to; Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the College and the 400th Anniversary of the College’s Pharmacopoea Londinensis – the first pharmacopoeia to be manadatory for the whole country; hardback. This book contains specially commissioned paintings and drawings, and late medieval woodcuts, of nearly 200 plants growing in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians of London which were ingredients in the College’s Pharmacopoea Londinensis of 1618. Their contemporary uses are given from the publications of Nicholas Culpeper in 1649 and John Parkinson in 1640. The 17th century names of the 634 medicinal plants used in the Pharmacopoea have been painstakingly identified and listed with their modern botanical names – an invaluable resource for all interested in the history of plant-based medicine. The artists directory is included for all who seek commissions from them.
Hardback, 224 pages, 325 x 230mm. ISBN: 978-0-9521461-7-9.

1895. 8vo, pp. 130; with two chromolithograph plates and numerous text illustrations; paper a little browned; first plate and title-page almost detached and gutter cracked and exposed, with slight rubbing to second chromolithograph, but with no significant loss; in the original red publisher’s cloth backed marbled boards, spine ruled and lettered in gilt, spine a little faded with slight wear at head and tail, extremities lightly bumped and worn. First German edition of this detailed introduction on the construction and application of a range of orthopaedic supports, braces and corsets, as designed by the noted ‘lay’ orthopaedic surgeon, Friedrich von Hessing (1838-1918). Though with no formal medical training, Hessing founded his Orthopaedic clinic in 1868 near Augsburg, and soon found acclaim for his invention of a number of therapeutic devices, used in particular to treat children with polio, in particular to a brace which bears his name.
The author of the present work, Victor (Gyözö) Fischer, was a physician in Hungary, and originally published the work in Budapest in 1893 (A Hessing-Keszulekek Szerkezete es Alkalmazasa’), having seen for himself, over a period of some five years, the many benefits derived through the use of Hessing’s apparatus. In his preface, he thanks in particular Dr. Ladislaus Verebély at the University of Budapest, and the head of the surgical division at the poor children’s hospital, for his assistance. The numerous pencil drawings are taken from ‘life’ of patients treated. Giving such a glowing testimony, based upon case histories, it seems natural that the work would be translated into Germany, to help further promote the Augsburg Institute, and the work of its founder, to whom the present work is dedicated.
‘As the proprietor of an orthopaedic hospital, he experienced many difficulties in the first few years of his career in particular. As a self-taught medical practitioner -Hessing never attended medical school - he faced harsh criticism from the world of orthodox medicine. He needed great drive and tenacity to overcome this antagonism, and eventually his success proved him right. The “orthopaedic brace” he developed and his inventions for treating war victims helped him achieve spectacular successes and carried the reputation of Hessing’s Medical Institution far beyond Germany’s borders. By 1903 more than 60,000 patients had been cared for in the Hessing Foundation, including members of the higher ranks of European nobility’ (The Hessing-Stiftung website, the Hessing Foundation remaining in operation to this day).