A Physico-Medical Essay Concerning the Late Frequency of Apoplexies
Oxford: printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater, 1689. 1st Edition. Hardcover.
FIRST BOOK TO USE THE TERM "STROKE".
William Cole’s A Physico-Medical Essay Concerning the Late Frequency of Apoplexies, first published in Oxford at the Sheldonian Theatre in 1689, is a landmark in the history of neurology and cerebrovascular medicine.
Notably, this is the first book known to use the term “stroke” to describe apoplexies—a term that would become embedded in modern neurological language.
Cole, a learned physician influenced by both Galenic and emerging iatrophysical theories, observed what he believed to be a marked increase in the incidence of apoplexies (or cerebrovascular events) in his time and sought to offer both a physiological explanation and public health guidance. Drawing from humoral doctrine, he attributed apoplexies to obstructions in the cerebral vessels caused by an excess of phlegm or stagnation of bodily fluids. However, he also incorporated more modern circulatory theories inspired by William Harvey, recognizing that disruptions to cerebral blood flow likely played a causal role.
In the essay, Cole provides some of the earliest systematic descriptions of stroke-like symptoms—sudden loss of consciousness, hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body), and speech disturbance—and supports his clinical observations with illustrative case histories, offering a rare and invaluable glimpse into 17th-century diagnostic reasoning. Beyond diagnosis, Cole adopts a preventive stance, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle modifications: moderation in eating and drinking, avoidance of sedentary behavior, and controlling passions and emotional extremes. These recommendations reveal a forward-thinking blend of physiological insight and practical health advice, foreshadowing later public health approaches to stroke prevention.
BOOK DETAILS AND CONDITION: 8vo (175 x 114 mm). Imprimatur leaf, engraved vignette of the Sheldonian Theater on title page. 20th century black morocco. Lacking portrait frontispiece before title, rubbed, significant scuffs on the spine, scattered browning and spotting. Overall: VG-.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: William Cole, MD - A doctor of medicine of Oxford (Gloucester hall), of 9th July, 1666, was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 26th June, 1693; and a Fellow, 25th June, 1694. He was named an Elect 9th October, 1712. Dr Cole practised during the early part of his career at Worcester, and it was during his residence there that Sydenham addressed to him his Dissertatio Epistolaris. He settled in London in 1692. He died 12th June, 1716, aged 81, and was buried at Allesley, near Coventry. Dr. Cole is said to have been “learned without ostentation, and polite without affectation.” His portrait by R White was engraved in 1689. It bore the following lines:-
Sic micat ore salus, oculis sic mentis acumen
Ut dubites quis sit, Colus an Hippocrates.
Translates to:
So health shines from the mouth, so keenness of mind from the eyes, that you doubt who it is, Colus or Hippocrates.
RARITY: This book is rare. Six times at auction in the last century (RBH). ESTC lists 37 copies in world libraries including nine copies in the United States.
REFERENCES: Krivatsy 2569; Osler 2347; Wellcome II, 369; Wing C5043. Very Good / No Jacket. Item #EBS100546
Price: $4,100.00