Elements of the Practice of Physic, in Two Parts

Elements of the Practice of Physic, in Two Parts. Part I. Containing the Natural History of the Human Body. Part II. The History of Methods of Treating Fevers and Internal Inflammations.London: J. Johnson, 1771Third Edition 8vo. Cont. full leather (gilt borders on the covers), spine in compartments missing labels: Endpapers, viii (incl. ½ title, titlepage), 123 (1) pp, 1 leaf (The Doctrine of Diseases on recto), Proemium (on pp 127-129), The Doctrine of Fevers (leaf recto, Fevers section pp (133)-379 (380 advert) Complete. Pp 1-50 describe The Chemical Properties of the Fluids; pp 51-53 cover The Chemical Properties of the Animal Solids. Covers worn with slight loss of leather on front board, spine v. worn w/sl. Separation (bottom 1) rear board but solid and clean. This is actually the first edition combining two earlier books. Elements of the Practice of Physic. Part II. Containing the History and Methods of treating Fevers and Internal Inflammation (London: J. Johnson, 1768) was actually published before Elements of the Practice of Physic. Part the First. Containing Natural History of the Human Body (London: J. Johnson, 1770). (See The Monthly Review or Literary Journal, Volume XXXVIII, 1768, p 298 for confirmation of this order of appearance). Clearly this Third Edition is based upon the 1768 and 1770 books as the first two editions. George Fordyce (1736-1802), a pupil of Dr. William Cullen in Edinburgh, settled in London in 1759 and started presenting a course of lectures in chemistry in 1759 (see Partington III, pp 692-4; also J. Golinski, Science as Public Culture: Chemistry and Enlightenment in Britain, 1760-1820, Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp 60-61). Partington notes in particular Fordyces Syllabus of Lectures on Chemistry (n.d.) and describes his chemical views. Fordyce became F.R.S. in 1776 and gained his fellowship to the Royal College of Physicians in 1790. Initial ownership script on recto of first endpaper: Stenneys Book Andover Sept. 3 1774 (St in Stenney uncertain). Also, in script at top Fairfields. Ownership of Levi Bartlett (Levi Bartletts Book 1791, on recto of first endpaper. Dr. Levi Bartlett M.D. (1763-1828) was the son of Dr. Josiah Bartlett, M.D., New Hampshire signer of the Declaration of Independence and its first Governor. Levi Bartlett shared the medical practice with Josiah and was also a judge, politician and postmaster.…