Facets

1655

#3669.1

Χειροπλοθήκη seu armamentarium chirurgicum.

Scultetus is famous for his illustrations of surgical procedures and both surgical and dental instruments. With respect to dentistry he describes and illustrates stomatological operations and includes fine illustratio…

1655

#9324

Health's improvement, or rules for preparing all sorts of food used in this nation. Written by that ever famous Thomas Muffet, Doctor in physick: Corrected and enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.

Moffet's work in nutrition was collected in his book Health's Improvement, which was designed more for the layman than for physicians. It also contains the first list of British wildfowl, recognizing for the first tim…

1655

#10146

Prae-Adamitae, sive exercitatio super versibus duodecimo, decimotertio, & decimoquarto, capitis quinti Epistolae D. Pauli ad Romanos: Quibus inducuntur primi homines ante Adamum conditi.

"In his Prae-Adamitae, published in Latin in 1655 and in English as Men Before Adam in 1656, La Peyrère argued that Paul's words in Chapter 5, verses 12-14 of his Epistle to the Romans should be interpreted such that …

1658

#152

Metoposcopia libris tredecim et octingentis faciei humanae eiconibus complexa.

Contains 800 illustrations of the human face. Cardan, Professor of Medicine at Padua as well as a celebrated mathematician and scientist, claimed to be able to draw horoscopes from the appearance of the face. A French…

1662

#7690

Cista medica Hafniensis: variis consiliis, curationibus, casibus rarioribus, Vitis medicorum Hafniensium, aliisq; ad rem medicam, anatomicam, botanicam & chymicam spectantibus referta. Accedit eiusdem Domus anatomica brevissime descripta.

Histories of famous physicians in Copenhagen along with the description of the building designed for the teaching of anatomy there, designated the "Anatomy House". Bartholin's Domus anatomica brevissime descripta was …

1663

#9576

Opera omnia: Tam hactenus excusa, hîc tamen aucta & emendata, quàm nunquam aliàs visa ac primùm ex auctoris ipsius autographis eruta curâ Caroli Sponii .... 10 vols.

Digital facsimile from the Università degli Studi di Milano at this link.

1666

#13899

Modo practico de embalsamar cuerpos defunctos, para preservarlos incorruptos....

On embalming corpses, and on human cadavers. This work includes (pp. 98-127) instructions for the embalming process in Spain, with woodcut illustrations of the tools used and recipes for the ointments. The author also…

1671

#10124

Voyage des pais septentrionaux: Dans lequel se void [sic] les moeurs, maniere de vivre, & superstitions des Norweguiens, Lappons, Kiloppes, Borandiens, Syberiens, Samojedes, Zembliens, & Islandois, enrichi de plusieurs figures.

Translated into English as A new voyage into the northern countries being a discription of the manners, customs, superstition, buildings, and habits of the Norwegians, Laponians, Kilops, Borandians, Siberians, Samojed…

1676

#9511

The family physician, and the house apothecary: Containing I. Medicines against all such diseases people usually advise with apothecaries to be cured of, II. Instructions, whereby to prepare at your own houses all kinds of necessary medicines that are prepared by apothecaries, or prescribed by physicians, III. The exact prices of all drugs, herbs, seeds, simple and compound medicines, as they are sold at the druggists, or may be sold by the apothecaries, IV. That it's plainly made to appear, that in preparing medicines thus at your own houses, that it's not onely a far safer way, but you shall also save nineteen shillings in twenty, comparing it with the extravagant rates of many apothecaries.

The text of the second edition (1678) is available from Early English Books Online at this link.

1677

#215

The primitive organization of mankind considered and examined according to the light of nature.

In response to Isaac de la Peyrere‘s theory of polygenesis, Hale, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, advanced his own theory that the earth was not eternal, but rather had a spontaneous “beginning,” and defended “the …

1679

#7208

Dissertation sur les dents.

The third publication in French on dentistry, primarily plagiarized from Martinez (No. 3668.2). Martin was apothecary to Louis I, Prince of Condé, a prominent Huguenot general and founder of the House of Condé. He was…

1680 –1681

#3669.3

De motu animalium. 2 pts.

Borelli originated the neurogenic theory of the heart’s action and first suggested that the circulation resembled a simple hydraulic system. He was the first to insist that the heart beat was a simple muscular contrac…

1682

#10017

Mercurius compitalitius, sive, Index medico-practicus.per decisiones, cautiones, animadversiones, castigationes & observationes in sugulis affectibus praeter naturam et praesidiis medicis, deaeteticis, cheirurgicis & pharmaceuticis... Accessit appendix de medici munere.

Discusses 63 topics on medical ethics and decorum, patient behavior, medical diagnosis, prognosis, and practice guidelines, including how to relate to the patient in all matters, including extreme old age and death. "…

1682

#12612

A treatise of cleanness in meats and drinks of the preparation of food, the excellency of good airs and the benefits of clean sweet beds also of the generation of bugs and their cure : to which is added, a short discourse of the pain in the teeth shewing from what cause it does chiefly proceed, and also how to prevent it.

Digital text from Early English Books Online at this link.

1683

#9308

The way to health, long life and happiness, or, a discourse of temperance and the particular nature of all things requisit for the life of man as all sorts of meats, drinks, air, exercise, &c. with special directions how to use each of them to be the best advantage of the body and mind. Shewing from the true ground of nature whence most diseases proceed, and how to prevent them. To which is added, a treatise of most sorts of English herbs ... the like never before published / communicated to the world for a general good, by Philotheos Physiologus.

Tryon, an English merchant, was the author of popular self-help books and an early advocate of vegetarianism. Digital facsimile from the Hathi Trust at this link.

1684

#2464.1

An abstract of a letter…Sep. 17, 1683. Containing some microscopical observations, about animals in the scurf of the teeth.

Records discovery of bacteria in the mouth, with the first illustrations of the basic types – what were much later called cocci (round or oval), bacilli (rod-shaped) and spiriillum (spiral) forms. Although Leeuwenhoek…

1685

#3670

The operator for the teeth shewing how to preserve the teeth and gums from all the accidents they are subject to: With particular directions for childrens teeth: As also the description and use of the polican, never published before.

The first separate British publication on dentistry, a pamphlet of 22pp. Editions were also published in Dublin, 1686, and London, 1687. The 1685 edition was reprinted by Dawson, 1969, and the Dublin edition was repri…

1689

#12782

Anatome ossium novis inventis illustrata.

Gagliardi, a papal physician, fiirst described the lamellar structure of the bones. He also carried out some tests and comparative research between human and calf bones, and probably first described a case of bone tub…

1690

#10055

A letter to a friend, upon occasion of the death of his intimate friend.

One of the most eloquent and learned discussions of death. Full annotated text from penelope.uchicago.edu at this link.

1700

#2121

De morbis artificum diatriba.

Ramazzini's study of the diseases of workers, De morbis artificium diatriba, was the first comprehensive and systematic treatise on occupational medicine; it was also the foundation work in ergonomics. It deals with p…

1705

#4300

L’art de guérir les maladies des os. Ou l'on traite des luxations & des fractures, avec les instrumens necessaires & une machine de nouvelle invention pour les reduire: ensemble des exostoses & des caries, des anchyloses, des maladies des dents, & de la charte ou rachitis, maladie ordinaire aux enfans.

Petit was the first director of the Académie de Chirurgie, Paris. He is particularly remembered for his work on bone diseases. He invented the screw tourniquet, gave the first account of osteomalacia, and was first to…

1707

#2731

De subitaneis mortibus libri duo.

In the above work Lancisi noted cardiac hypertrophy and dilatation as causes of sudden death. He was the first to describe valvular vegetation, and his book gives a classification of the cardiac diseases then recogniz…

1707

#3670.1

Anthropologia nova; or, a new system of anatomy. Describing the animal oeconomy, and a short rationale of many distempers incident to human bodies.

In his preface Drake credited the surgeon, anatomist and artist, William Cowper, for valuable aid in both the text and illustrations this work. Drake also included a chapter, "Of the Nose" written by Cowper which desc…

1714

#1312

Tabulae anatomicae.

A romantic history attaches to this fine collection of plates, drawn by Eustachius himself and completed in 1552. They remained unprinted and forgotten in the Vatican Library until discovered in the early 18th century…

1726

#5415

An historical account of the small-pox inoculated in New-England, upon all sorts of persons, whites, blacks, and of all ages and constitutions: With some account of the nature of the infection in the natural and inoculated way, and their different effects on human bodies; with some short directions to the unexperienced in this method of practice .

Boylston was the first in America to inoculate for smallpox, at Boston on 26 June 1721. "During a smallpox outbreak in 1721 in Boston, he inoculated about 248 people[5] by applying pus from a smallpox sore to a small …

1728

#3671

Le chirurgien dentiste, ou traité des dents. 2 vols.

Pierre Fauchard has been called the “Father of Dentistry”; his comprehensive and scientific account of all that concerned dentistry in the 18th century is one of the greatest books in the history of the subject. The s…

1734

#9675

Every man his own doctor: or, The poor planter's physician. Prescribing plain and easy means for persons to cure themselves of all, or most of the distempers, incident to this climate, and with very little charge, the medicines being chiefly of the growth and production of this country.

The first medical hand-book for lay persons written and published in America. It is probable that this book was first published in 1734, though the earliest recorded copy or copies appear to be the "second edition" wi…

1735

#8483

A voyage to Guinea, Brasil and the West Indies; in His Majesty's ships, the Swallow and Weymouth: Describing the several islands and Settlements, viz, Madeira, the Canaries, Cape de Verd, Sierraleon, Sesthos, Cape Apollonia, Cabo Corso, and others on the Guinea coast; Barbadoes, Jamaica, &c. in the West-Indies; the colour, diet, languages, habits, manners, customs, and religions of the respective natives, and inhabitants. With remarks on the gold, ivory, and slave-trade; and on the winds, tides and currents of the several coasts.

Atkins, surgeon on the voyage, included information about the slave trade and the natural history of the Gold Coast. "Atkins describes the manatee accurately, and tells much about fetish worship. He shows that there w…

1737

#12930

L’Art de conserver les dents. Ouvrage utile & nécessaire, non seulement aux jeunes gens qui se destinent à la profession de chirurgien-dentiste, mais encore à toutes les personnes qui veulent avoir les dents belles & nettes.

The first significant French book on dentistry after Fauchard. Geraudly's "book...contributed to the diffusion of dental knowledge relative to dental prophylaxis and therapeutics, but apart from this brought no increm…

1742

#73

Opera omnia medica.

Boerhaave created of the modern method of clinical teaching. His writings had an enormous influence during his lifetime. Haller, Cullen, Pringle, van Swieten and de Haen were among his pupils. See Lindeboom, Herman Bo…

1742

#3672

A practical treatise upon dentition; or, the breeding of teeth in children.

The first English book on children’s teeth. Reprinted, Dawson, 1966. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1742

#11407

An mortis incertae signa minus incerta a chirurgicis quam ab aliis experimenti?

Between the mid-1700s and the early 1900s many physicians lost confidence in their ability to declare legal death. This phenomenon was in part sparked by Winslow, whose dissertation claimed the existence of a death-li…

1743

#3672.1

Essai sur les maladies des dents, où l'on propose les moyens de leur procurer une bonne conformation dès la plus tendre enfance...

The first book incorporating specialized odontological research. Dissatisfied with the incomplete coverage of dental problems that he found in the works of Fauchard and Gerauldy, Bunon addressed such issues as dental …

1746

#3672.2

Essai d’odontotechnie, ou dissertation sur les dents artificielles.

The first specialized book on dental prosthetics.

1746

#8869

Medicina Britannica; or, a treatise on such physical plants as are generally to be found in the fields or gardens of Great-Britain: Containing a particular account of their nature, virtues, and uses. Together with the observations of the most learned physicians, as well ancient as modern, communicated to the late ingenious Mr. Ray, and the learned Dr. Sim. Pauli. Adapted more especially to the occasions of those, whose condition or situation of life deprives them, in a great measure, of the helps of the learned. To which are added, three indexes: The first containing the England and Latin names of the plants treated of: The second of the diseases, and their remedies: The third to the notes.

Short focused his book on the medical uses of plants readily available in England. Many of the plants recommended in the traditional herbal literature were difficult to find in England. Digital facsimile from the Biod…

1746

#12928

Experiences et demonstrations faites à l'Hôpital de la Salpêtriere, & à S. Côme en présence de l'Académie Royale de Chirurgie. Pour servir de suite & de preuves a l'Essai sur les maladies des dents, & c. Et une pharmacie odontalogique, ou Traité des médicamens, simples & composés propres aux maladies des dents, & des différentes parties de la bouche, à l'usage des dentistes.

In this follow-up to his book published in 1743 Bunon proved the assertions of his earlier Essai through a series of dental researches conducted on patients at the Salpêtrière and at the hospital of St. Côme--the firs…

1747

#9149

Primitive physick; or, an easy and natural method of curing most diseases.

Wesley, an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist, was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. Digital facsimile of the 14th American edition, Philadelphia, 1770, from the I…

1748

#6322

An essay upon nursing, and the management of children, from their birth to three years of age.

Cadogan’s famous essay laid down rules on the nursing, feeding, and clothing of infants, and filled a great need at a time when infant welfare was much neglected through the ignorance of those concerned. As a result o…

1752

#11504

Lettres sur la certitude des signes de la mort où l'on rassure les citoyens de la crainte d'être enterrés vivans ; avec des observations et des expériences sur les noyés.

In this work in the pathophysiology of drowning, resuscitation and the legal diagnosis of death Louis sought to reassure the public that the risk of being buried alive was very low. He rejected a proposal for late bur…

1754

#12848

Nouveaux élémens d’odontologie, contenant l’anatomie de la bouche ou la description de toutes les parties qui la composent et de leur usage; et la pratique abrégée du dentiste.

Lecluse treated in a succinct but correct manner the anatomy of the mouth; invented some and perfected other instruments, the most important of which is the elevator that still bears his name, and . . . he frequently …

1756

#3673

Abhandlung von den Zähnen des menschlichen Körpers und deren Krankheiten.

The first important German manual of dentistry. Pfaff, dentist to Frederick the Great, was the first to describe the taking of dental impressions and the casting of models for false teeth. This book ranks in importanc…

1757

#3673.1

Recherches et observations sur toutes les parties de l’art du dentiste. 2 vols

“Probably the most significant [French dental] author after Fauchard” (Hoffmann-Axthelm). Bourdet’s greatest contributions were to dental prosthetics. He also described severe periodontoclasia and his treatment of the…

1761

#1597

Avis au peuple sur la santé.

A tract on medicine written for the lay public; it ran through many editions and was translated into all European languages. It has been called "the greatest medical best-seller of the eighteenth century" (Singy, "The…

1763

#1730

Mémoire sur une question anatomique relative à la jurisprudence; dans lequel on établit les principes pour distinguer, à l’inspection d’un corps trouvé pendu, les signes du suicide d’avec ceux de l’assassinat.

Louis was a pioneer of French medical jurisprudence. Above is a classic discussion on the differential signs of murder and suicide in cases of hanging.

1765

#1766.5

A discourse upon the institution of medical schools in America.…

The first American publication on medical education. Morgan founded the first medical school in the United States, in connection with what is now the University of Pennsylvania.

1767

#13557

A comparative history of the increase and decrease of mankind in England, and several countries abroad, according to the different soils, situations, business of life, use of the non-naturals, &c. faithfully collected from, and attested by, above three hundred vouchers, and many of them for a long course of years, in two different Periods. To which is added a syllabus of the general States of health, air, seasons, and food for the last three hundred years; and also a meteorological discourse.

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1768

#3674

A treatise on the disorders and deformities of the teeth and gums.

Earliest English dental textbook. Berdmore was the first to mention the use of the microscope for the study of the minute structure of teeth.

1769

#1763

A discourse upon the duties of a physician, with some sentiments, on the usefulness and necessity of a public hospital: Delivered before the president and governors of King's College, at the commencement, held on the 16th of May, 1769. As advice to those gentlemen who then received the first medical degrees conferred by that university.

The first American treatise on medical ethics, and the first treatise on medical ethics published in the English language. Samuel Bard was one of the founders of King’s College, New York. Digital facsimile from the Na…

1769

#5304

Essay on the natural history of Guiana, in South America. Containing a description of many curious productions in the animal and vegetable systems of that country. Together with an account of the religion, manners, and customs of several tribes of its Indian inhabitants. Interspersed with a variety of literary and medical observations. In several letters....

Bancroft was an English physician who lived for many years in South America. He noted the transmission of yaws by flies (p. 385 of his book). Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1769

#9148

Domestic medicine or, the family physician: Being an attempt to render the medical art more generally useful, by shewing people what Is in their own power both with respect to the prevention and cure of diseases: Chiefly calculated to recommend a proper attention to regimen and simple medicines.

This pioneering medical self-help book was an instant success, selling 80,000 copies in Buchan's lifetime— a huge number for that time, and was translated into all the major European languages. Digital facsimile from …