BARTHOLIN, Thomas.

De Nivis Usu Medico Observationes Variæ. Accessit D. Erasmi Bartholini De Figura Nivis Dissertatio; cum Operum Authoris Catalogo.

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One engraved plate depicting the hexagonal nature of various snowflakes. Title printed in red & black. 12 p.l., 232 pp., [4] leaves; 3 p.l., 42 pp.; 8 leaves. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed speckled boards (minor browning), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Copenhagen: M. Godiccus for P. Haubold, 1661. First edition. “Chapter XXII of this historically important book makes the first known mention of the use of mixtures of ice and snow for freezing to produce surgical anesthesia. The author states that the technique was taught to him by one Marco Aurelio Severino of Naples. In order not to kill the tissues and cause gangrene, the ice-snow mixture was to be applied on the parts in narrow parallel lines. After a quarter of an hour, feeling would be deadened and the part could be cut without pain. This may be the first mention of such a technique since the time of Avicenna... “The treatise on snow crystals, by Bartholin’s younger brother, Erasmus, is the earliest publication on crystallography, and preceded Boyle on gems (1671) by eleven years. This interesting book also contains a list of Thomas Bartholin’s works.”–Heirs of Hippocrates 516. Fine copy. ❧ Neville, I, p. 82–“A pioneer work in crystallography, preceding by ten years Steno’s great Prodromus, which is usually considered to have founded the modern science of crystal geometry. Partington discusses this work and its chemical content.” Partington, II, pp. 500 & 509.

• USD 2,750.00 > otras divisas
• nº de pedido: HillBibl-1356

• librero: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (USA)