De sedibus, et causis morborum per anatomen indagatis libri quinque

Venice: Remondini, 1761. 2 vols. in 1. Folio. [viii], ix-xcvi, [ii], 3-298, [2]; [ii], 3-452 pp. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Separate titles to each volume; first title in red and black. Frontispiece portrait by Jean Renard (i.e. Giovanni Volpato, 1733-1803), engraved title vignettes. Two contemporary signatures on first blank, the first of Dr. Aug. Leop. Ulrich and the second, "Fac. Wolff, M.D., confluentiae;" errata on leaf m4r crossed out by a contemporary hand and all corrections made by same hand. Bound in old vellum with new endpapers; lower fore-edge with light waterstain, some browning throughout. PMM, 206. Item #3862

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, of one of the most important works in the history of medicine. The five books include the written records of Morgagni's investigations and an extensive series of post mortem which he performed himself. These records of dissections are given with precision and exhaustiveness of detail. By comparing the clinical symptoms with the post mortem findings, Morgagni laid the foundations of pathological anatomy. "The books include a number of brilliant descriptions of new diseases, some of which have remained classics until our own day, particularly those of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and throat. He described syphilitic tumours in the brain, recorded a case of heart-block ("Stokes Adams Disease"), identified the clinical features of pneumonia with consolidation of the lungs, described lesions in angina pectoris, acute yellow atrophy of the liver, tuberculosis of the kidney, etc." (PMM).
Morgagni (1682-1771), professor of anatomy at Padua, was an expert clinician and the first to identify the symptomatic condition associated with many diseases. This work is now very scarce.

Price: $17,500.00