A Sett of Anatomical Tables, with Explanation and an Abridgement of the Practice of Midwifery, with a view to illustrate a treatise on that subject, and collection of cases.

SMELLIE, William

Published by D. Wilson, London, 1754

About this Item

Large folio (540 x 366 mm). [2] leaves (title and preface) and 39 engraved plates, each with a letterpress explanation, by Grignion after Jan van Rymsdyk, Pieter Camper, and the author. Errata on final leaf. 20th century three-quarter calf over cloth, spine with 7 raised bands and gilt lettering, new endpapers (little rubbing to extremities). Text and plates very little browned, minor occasional foxing, thumb- and marginal dust-soiling, plates II and XVI with single brown spot, closed tear (repaired on verso) to plates X, XXIII and XXX without loss, small marginal dampstain to final two plates. Provenance: P. Manning (pencil incription to title-page). Very good copy. ---- Norman 1955; Grolier Medicine 43B; Heirs of Hippocrates 826, NLM/Blake, p.420; Russell 753 (recording more than 14 editions); Waller 9012; Garrison-Morton 6154.1. - RARE FIRST EDITION, presumably issued in only 100 copies. "Smellie was the leading forceps practitioner in London, and several of the plates illustrate the use of this instrument in various presentations of the fetus. These engravings are the first accurate anatomical illustrations of the fetus in utero" (Norman). "Not until Smellie (1754) and William Hunter (1774) published their monumental volumes do we actually find illustrations of the foetus in utero which were really observed and faultlessly reproduced from an anatomic point of view" (Choulant-Frank, pp. 75, 284). The life-size pastel drawings Rymsdyk made for Smellie were far superior in accuracy to any that had appeared previously. William Hunter bought them at the posthumous sale of Smellie's collection in 1770, and they are now part of the Hunterian Collection at the University of Glasgow. - Visit our website for additional images and information.

Seller Inventory # 002786

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Sett of Anatomical Tables, with Explanation and an Abridgement of the Practice of Midwifery, with a view to illustrate a treatise on that subject, and collection of cases.
• Publisher: D. Wilson, London
• Publication Date: 1754
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 5 kilograms
• Seller catalogs:
  • Norman Library
  • Anatomy