Surgical and Physiological Essays. Part III
London: Cadell & Davies, 1797. First edition.
This third installment of John Abernethy’s influential Surgical and Physiological Essays contains detailed case studies, operative descriptions, and discussions on injuries of the head, vascular pathology, and the physiology of irritability and disease. Abernethy—assistant surgeon at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and F.R.S.—was one of the most important surgical teachers of the late 18th century, and these essays preserve his early clinical thinking just before the explosion of 19th-century surgical modernization. The work includes multiple first-hand surgical observations, clinical experiments, and extended case reports, including trephination procedures, arterial ligature techniques, and commentary on pathological processes.
Notable is the survival of this copy in its original 1797 publisher’s blue-gray paper boards, very uncommon for medical books of this period. Text pages show the expected foxing, toning, and occasional staining, but remain fully legible. No illustrations are present (none were issued for Part III). This is a scarce primary document of Georgian-era surgical practice and an important association item for collectors of early operative medicine.
Condition & Binding: The original paper-covered boards are present but heavily worn, with substantial edge loss, staining, and chipping. The spine is almost entirely gone, with the textblock held together primarily by an external clear plastic wrapping as shown. Several gatherings are loosened, though pages remain attached; there are tears, dog-eared corners, and general wear throughout. Interior pages show foxing, browning, and occasional staining, but the text remains readable. Overall- poor. Item #785
Price: $120.00