Engravings of the Human Bones, selected and reduced from the large plates of Cheselden, accompanied with concise explanations, designed for the use of Students

Description:

Third edition. This book contains engravings of human bones, reduced from the large plates of Chelsden's magnificent folio work, 'Osteographia, or, The Anatomy of the Bones' (1733). Earlier editions of this work have title 'Cheselden's Plates of the human bones'. Pages 20 and 21 misnumbered 21 and 22. Some plates with date 1811.

William Cheselden (1688–1752) was an English surgeon and anatomist. Cheselden was named assistant surgeon at St. Thomas’ in 1718 and was elected one of the institution’s principal surgeons the following year. Queen Caroline appointed him to be her surgeon in 1727. Cheselden was known for his swift and skillful operations; it was reported that he could perform a lithotomy in 54 seconds. In 1728 he surgically restored a blind man’s vision and devised a method of treatment for some forms of blindness in which an opening, created by surgery, functioned as an 'artificial pupil.'

Condition

12mo, later half calf, marbled boards and endpapers. Some browning and foxing throughout; old water stain to top of plates (fainter towards the end). Vg.

Provenance: From the library of anatomist, Prof. A.J.E. Cave (1900-2001), also with the book plate of British anatomist and anthropologist, Frederic Wood Jones (1879-1954).