{Salesman’s Sample Book, 1870} Plain Home Talk About the Human System—The Habits of Men and Women—The Causes and Prevention of Disease—Our Sexual Relations and Social Natures; Embracing Medical Common Sense Applied to Causes, Prevention, and Cure of Chronic Diseases—The Natural Relations of Men and Women to Each Other—Society—Love—Marriage [.]

New York: Wells & Coffin, 432 Broome Street. San Francisco: H.H. Bancroft & Co. London: Johnson, Ferguson & Co. 1870. Small octavo. Collation not continuous, as issued; sample copy with partial gatherings, plates, and mock subscription pages. Publisher’s textured cloth, embossed in blend, both covers with a design element with the words "A Book for Private Consideration." Gilt-stamped leather spine sample from the de luxe edition mounted inside front cover. Ends of spine chipped; old clipping residue to front endpaper; scattered foxing. Some of the salesman’s line sheets to verso have been removed, others remain, unused. The very scarce salesman’s sample book for Foote’s notorious health manual, offering both home medical guidance and explicit advice on sex, marriage, and reproduction. Includes wood-engraved illustrations ranging from idealized anatomical types to therapeutic devices and social commentary vignettes. A memorable spread depicts the proportions of "the Venus" as a nude woman posing beside a curtain-draped stand. The margins show traces of old glue staining, suggesting these facing pages were likely once sealed shut—presumably to shield readers from content deemed "obscene." Similarly, glue stains appear in the margins of other pages featuring anatomical images of the womb and penis. Foote, self-described here as a "Medical and Electrical Therapeutist," was often censured for obscenity, contributed to early debates around free speech in medical publishing. Another section on "Common Sense Remedies" shows a well-dressed physician surrounded by gesturing disembodied "magnetic" hands. Later parts include scenes of nineteenth-century urban life and serialized moral imagery captioned "Courtship," "Marriage," and "Ten Years After Marriage." The latter image depicts a husband and wife shouting across a table, each holding a theatrical mask—symbolically removing their façades to reveal their "true" natures beneath. Included also are portraits of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young alongside a discussion of polygamy, as well as an image of the utopian Oneida "Communists" with descriptive text on their fine "crop" of youths being raised per their communal practices. The last image in this 1870 sample book is futuristic. It shows three young women and it is captioned "Young Rebels of the year 1900 Against Old King Custom." Adjacent text declares that ladies "should be allowed to pop the question" and states that women have natural rights that enable them to select the mate of their choice. "How many women," muses the author, "have wished themselves men! Because, simply, that a ridiculous [marriage] custom deprives women of social freedom…" McCorison and Arbour 172. Flake 3392, for the complete work, noting text on Mormons, polygamy, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (see above).…