The Healing of Nerves
London: Macmillan and Co., 1901. First edition.
The Healing of Nerves (1901) by Charles A. Ballance and Purves Stewart is a foundational monograph in early neurological surgery and experimental neurophysiology. The work systematically documents the regeneration, degeneration, and attempted restoration of peripheral nerves following surgical intervention—drawing extensively on experiments with dogs, cats, and monkeys. The authors present cutting-edge observations for the time, including the behavior of myelin sheaths, neuroma formation, proximal and distal degeneration, and the early histological understanding of nerve grafting. Detailed case studies, surgical techniques, and experimental outcomes make this volume one of the earliest comprehensive scientific treatments of nerve repair.
The text is richly illustrated with sixteen lithographed plates and one in-text figure, depicting microscopic sections of nerve fibers under various regenerative stages. These plates—rendered in vivid color—show degeneration patterns, axonal sprouting, medullary sheath development, and complex histological changes.
Condition & Binding: riginal publisher’s black cloth boards with gilt titles to spine and front board. The spine is heavily damaged, with cloth missing along most of the length, exposing the mull and sewing structure. Hinges cracked; binding partially shaken but holding. Corners bumped and frayed; cloth worn. Plates remain crisp and bright internally with scattered foxing at margins, some toning to edges, and offsetting typical of the period. Overall- poor to fair. Item #774
Price: $200.00