Observations in Myology, including the myology of Cryptobranch, Lepidosiren, dog-fish, Ceratodus and Pseudopus pallasii, with the nerves of Cryptobranch and Lepidosiren and the disposition of muscles in vertebrate animals

Description:

First edition. Scarce. Sir George Murray Humphry (1820-1896), was a British surgeon, who at various times held presidential roles of the Cambridge Medical Society (which he helped to form), the Sanitary Society of Great Britain (1882-1883), the Anatomical Society (1887), and the Pathological Society of London (1891-1893). Humphry was one of the first to attempt to bring human anatomy into line with the science of morphology; he was the first in England to remove successfully a tumour from the male bladder, and one of the first to advocate the advantages of the suprapubic method. From the 1870s he became a major figure in the vivisection debate. This work on Myology, the study of muscles and muscle groups, was Humphry's subject while Arris and Gale lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons. The plates show muscle structures of Lungfishes (Lepidosiren & Ceratodus), Giant Salamanders (Cryptobranch), Dogfish, and others.

Freeman 1840.

Condition

8vo, orig. plum cloth, spine faded, head and foot of spine worn with some loss to head, short split to top of front joint. Section clipped from top of half-title with loss of part of text of advertisement to verso. Good. A bookplate records that this copy was from the library of Alexander Macalister, who was chair of anatomy at Cambridge University from 1883-1919. Alexander Macalister (1844-1919) was an Irish anatomist and surgeon. He succeeded Humphry as Cambridge Professor of Anatomy, a position he held for 36 years. He wrote several notable works on anatomy. From the library of Prof. Alexander James Edward Cave, (1900-2001), British anatomist, with his small ownership stamp to title page. Cave was Professor of Anatomy, St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College (1946-1967) and President of the Linnean Society (1970-1973).