Sale Price:
£1,100.00
Original Price:
£1,200.00
[1798?] New Edition
THE MEDICAL MIRROR, OR TREATISE ON THE IMPREGNATION OF THE HUMAN FEMALE
An uncommon and striking late-eighteenth-century medical work by Ebenezer Sibly (1751–1799), physician, astrologer and occult writer, bringing together reproductive medicine, anatomy and physiology with contemporary therapeutics and Sibly’s distinctive speculative theories concerning life, disease and the human constitution.
The Medical Mirror opens with an extensive treatment of conception, pregnancy and foetal development before ranging more widely across the anatomy of the vascular, nervous and lymphatic systems, the heart, musculature and other physiological processes. Its later sections turn to disease and treatment, including case histories and Sibly’s proprietary Solar and Lunar Tinctures. The work consequently occupies an unusual position between orthodox late-Georgian medicine, popular therapeutics, natural philosophy and the esoteric interests for which Sibly is particularly remembered.
This copy retains the engraved portrait frontispiece, engraved title and 12 of the 13 anatomical plates called for in the book’s own final-page “Directions for Placing the Cuts.” The sole missing engraving is “The Bowels,” directed to face p.133. Two text leaves, pp.133–136, are also absent, making this an incomplete but substantially illustrated and visually appealing copy in its original paper-covered boards.
By Ebenezer Sibly
Format: Hardcover, Octavo (Standard) (8vo 6 × 9 in 152 × 229 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Language: English
Published By: Published by Printed for the Author, and Sold by all Booksellers in Town & Country, London
Condition Report:
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Good - An appealing but incomplete copy in original paper-covered boards.
The original boards are worn and rubbed, with wear to the joints, edges and corners and general surface marking consistent with age and use. The survival of the early paper-covered binding nevertheless gives the volume considerable period character.
Internally with scattered foxing, age-toning, staining and occasional handling marks. Some plates show marginal handling, short tears and creasing, although the engraved images remain generally clear and attractive.
With an engraved portrait frontispiece signed “Lowry sc.” and an engraved title signed “W. Newman del. et sc.”
Of the 13 anatomical plates specifically called for in the volume’s own “Directions for Placing the Cuts,” 12 are present. The sole missing plate is:
“The Bowels” — directed to face p.133.
The plates of Absorbent Vessels at p.27 and The Nerves at p.99 retain tissue guards. The remaining surviving anatomical plates are without tissue guards.
The text is also incomplete, lacking two leaves comprising pp.133–136, with consequent loss of text between p.132 and p.137. The surviving index confirms that the absent pages contained material concerning spasms, colic and bloody flux; diseases of the breast and lungs; asthma, dropsy and consumption; mental depression; and bile on the stomach.
It is noteworthy that the missing anatomical plate, “The Bowels,” was itself directed to be placed at p.133, the same point at which the textual lacuna begins.
The publication itself is undated. The dedication is dated 25 August 1796; this “New Edition with Large Additions and Anatomical Plates” is conventionally dated [1798?] and recorded as ESTC N3722.
Illustrations:
Engraved portrait frontispiece: Lowry sc.
Engraved title: W. Newman del. et sc.
The volume concludes with its own “Directions for Placing the Cuts,” which provides an unusually useful contemporary checklist for the anatomical illustrations.
Anatomical plates present:
Absorbent Vessels — directed to face p.27 — tissue guard present
Progressive Formation of the Fœtus, Plate I — p.48
Progressive Formation of the Fœtus, Plate II — p.51
Placenta, Chorion, and Amnios — p.53
The Action of Quickening — p.59
The Nerves — p.99 — tissue guard present
The Arteries — p.100
Their Veins — p.102
The Insensible Perspiration — p.106
The Front View of the Muscles — p.118
The Back View of the Muscles — p.119
The Heart — p.158
Anatomical plate lacking: The Bowels — directed to face p.133
Thus 12 of the 13 anatomical plates called for are present, in addition to the engraved portrait and engraved title.
Collation: Preliminary matter; pp. 1–132, 137–178; [2] pp. index.
With engraved portrait frontispiece, engraved title and 12 of 13 anatomical plates.
Lacking two text leaves, pp.133–136.
Lacking one anatomical plate: “The Bowels,” directed to face p.133.
Tissue guards retained at the plates facing pp.27 and 99.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
References:
ESTC N3722
Wellcome Collection, University of Bristol Library copy
Medical Heritage Library digitisation
Author Bio: Ebenezer Sibly (1751–1799) was an English physician, astrologer and writer whose career occupied a distinctive position at the intersection of medicine, natural philosophy and the occult during the late eighteenth century.
Educated in medicine, Sibly developed interests extending well beyond conventional medical practice into astrology, alchemy, animal magnetism, Hermetic philosophy and theories concerning the vital principles of living organisms. His writings frequently combine contemporary anatomical and scientific knowledge with older Paracelsian, astrological and esoteric traditions.
Sibly was particularly interested in the relationship between the material body and the forces he believed governed health, disease, reproduction and life itself. His works therefore offer a revealing picture of an intellectual world in which experimental medicine, commercial therapeutics and speculative natural philosophy could still readily coexist.
Today, his books attract interest from collectors of the history of medicine, anatomy, obstetrics, astrology, mesmerism and occult philosophy, as well as those interested more broadly in the changing boundaries between science and esotericism during the Enlightenment.
Illustrated By: W. Newman
Illustrator Bio: W. Newman was responsible for the engraved title and the anatomical illustration associated with this edition of Sibly’s Medical Mirror. The plates form an important part of the book’s appeal, illustrating reproductive anatomy and foetal development alongside the vascular, nervous, lymphatic and muscular systems and other aspects of human physiology.
The engraved portrait frontispiece in this copy is signed “Lowry sc.”
Synopsis: The Medical Mirror begins with Sibly’s account of the impregnation of the human female, discussing conception, the reproductive organs, pregnancy and the progressive development of the foetus. The accompanying engravings illustrating conception, successive stages of foetal development, the placenta and membranes, and “The Action of Quickening” make this section particularly notable within the history of popular reproductive medicine.
The work subsequently broadens into an illustrated discussion of human anatomy and physiology, encompassing the lymphatic or absorbent vessels, nervous system, arteries and veins, musculature, the heart and physiological processes including insensible perspiration.
Sibly then turns increasingly towards disease and therapeutics. A substantial portion of the latter part of the volume records illnesses, case histories and proposed cures using his proprietary Solar and Lunar Tinctures, which he promoted for complaints ranging from nervous disorders and rheumatism to respiratory disease and other chronic conditions.
The resulting work is considerably more than an obstetrical manual. It is a characteristic example of the medical culture of the late eighteenth century, combining anatomy, reproductive medicine, case history, proprietary remedies and Sibly’s broader belief in unseen vital forces governing the human body.
Its combination of medicine, anatomical illustration, reproductive history and Sibly’s association with astrology and occult philosophy gives the title an unusually broad appeal within specialist collecting.
SKU: BTETM0002299
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
[1798?] New Edition
THE MEDICAL MIRROR, OR TREATISE ON THE IMPREGNATION OF THE HUMAN FEMALE
An uncommon and striking late-eighteenth-century medical work by Ebenezer Sibly (1751–1799), physician, astrologer and occult writer, bringing together reproductive medicine, anatomy and physiology with contemporary therapeutics and Sibly’s distinctive speculative theories concerning life, disease and the human constitution.
The Medical Mirror opens with an extensive treatment of conception, pregnancy and foetal development before ranging more widely across the anatomy of the vascular, nervous and lymphatic systems, the heart, musculature and other physiological processes. Its later sections turn to disease and treatment, including case histories and Sibly’s proprietary Solar and Lunar Tinctures. The work consequently occupies an unusual position between orthodox late-Georgian medicine, popular therapeutics, natural philosophy and the esoteric interests for which Sibly is particularly remembered.
This copy retains the engraved portrait frontispiece, engraved title and 12 of the 13 anatomical plates called for in the book’s own final-page “Directions for Placing the Cuts.” The sole missing engraving is “The Bowels,” directed to face p.133. Two text leaves, pp.133–136, are also absent, making this an incomplete but substantially illustrated and visually appealing copy in its original paper-covered boards.
By Ebenezer Sibly
Format: Hardcover, Octavo (Standard) (8vo 6 × 9 in 152 × 229 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Language: English
Published By: Published by Printed for the Author, and Sold by all Booksellers in Town & Country, London
Condition Report:
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Good - An appealing but incomplete copy in original paper-covered boards.
The original boards are worn and rubbed, with wear to the joints, edges and corners and general surface marking consistent with age and use. The survival of the early paper-covered binding nevertheless gives the volume considerable period character.
Internally with scattered foxing, age-toning, staining and occasional handling marks. Some plates show marginal handling, short tears and creasing, although the engraved images remain generally clear and attractive.
With an engraved portrait frontispiece signed “Lowry sc.” and an engraved title signed “W. Newman del. et sc.”
Of the 13 anatomical plates specifically called for in the volume’s own “Directions for Placing the Cuts,” 12 are present. The sole missing plate is:
“The Bowels” — directed to face p.133.
The plates of Absorbent Vessels at p.27 and The Nerves at p.99 retain tissue guards. The remaining surviving anatomical plates are without tissue guards.
The text is also incomplete, lacking two leaves comprising pp.133–136, with consequent loss of text between p.132 and p.137. The surviving index confirms that the absent pages contained material concerning spasms, colic and bloody flux; diseases of the breast and lungs; asthma, dropsy and consumption; mental depression; and bile on the stomach.
It is noteworthy that the missing anatomical plate, “The Bowels,” was itself directed to be placed at p.133, the same point at which the textual lacuna begins.
The publication itself is undated. The dedication is dated 25 August 1796; this “New Edition with Large Additions and Anatomical Plates” is conventionally dated [1798?] and recorded as ESTC N3722.
Illustrations:
Engraved portrait frontispiece: Lowry sc.
Engraved title: W. Newman del. et sc.
The volume concludes with its own “Directions for Placing the Cuts,” which provides an unusually useful contemporary checklist for the anatomical illustrations.
Anatomical plates present:
Absorbent Vessels — directed to face p.27 — tissue guard present
Progressive Formation of the Fœtus, Plate I — p.48
Progressive Formation of the Fœtus, Plate II — p.51
Placenta, Chorion, and Amnios — p.53
The Action of Quickening — p.59
The Nerves — p.99 — tissue guard present
The Arteries — p.100
Their Veins — p.102
The Insensible Perspiration — p.106
The Front View of the Muscles — p.118
The Back View of the Muscles — p.119
The Heart — p.158
Anatomical plate lacking: The Bowels — directed to face p.133
Thus 12 of the 13 anatomical plates called for are present, in addition to the engraved portrait and engraved title.
Collation: Preliminary matter; pp. 1–132, 137–178; [2] pp. index.
With engraved portrait frontispiece, engraved title and 12 of 13 anatomical plates.
Lacking two text leaves, pp.133–136.
Lacking one anatomical plate: “The Bowels,” directed to face p.133.
Tissue guards retained at the plates facing pp.27 and 99.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
References:
ESTC N3722
Wellcome Collection, University of Bristol Library copy
Medical Heritage Library digitisation
Author Bio: Ebenezer Sibly (1751–1799) was an English physician, astrologer and writer whose career occupied a distinctive position at the intersection of medicine, natural philosophy and the occult during the late eighteenth century.
Educated in medicine, Sibly developed interests extending well beyond conventional medical practice into astrology, alchemy, animal magnetism, Hermetic philosophy and theories concerning the vital principles of living organisms. His writings frequently combine contemporary anatomical and scientific knowledge with older Paracelsian, astrological and esoteric traditions.
Sibly was particularly interested in the relationship between the material body and the forces he believed governed health, disease, reproduction and life itself. His works therefore offer a revealing picture of an intellectual world in which experimental medicine, commercial therapeutics and speculative natural philosophy could still readily coexist.
Today, his books attract interest from collectors of the history of medicine, anatomy, obstetrics, astrology, mesmerism and occult philosophy, as well as those interested more broadly in the changing boundaries between science and esotericism during the Enlightenment.
Illustrated By: W. Newman
Illustrator Bio: W. Newman was responsible for the engraved title and the anatomical illustration associated with this edition of Sibly’s Medical Mirror. The plates form an important part of the book’s appeal, illustrating reproductive anatomy and foetal development alongside the vascular, nervous, lymphatic and muscular systems and other aspects of human physiology.
The engraved portrait frontispiece in this copy is signed “Lowry sc.”
Synopsis: The Medical Mirror begins with Sibly’s account of the impregnation of the human female, discussing conception, the reproductive organs, pregnancy and the progressive development of the foetus. The accompanying engravings illustrating conception, successive stages of foetal development, the placenta and membranes, and “The Action of Quickening” make this section particularly notable within the history of popular reproductive medicine.
The work subsequently broadens into an illustrated discussion of human anatomy and physiology, encompassing the lymphatic or absorbent vessels, nervous system, arteries and veins, musculature, the heart and physiological processes including insensible perspiration.
Sibly then turns increasingly towards disease and therapeutics. A substantial portion of the latter part of the volume records illnesses, case histories and proposed cures using his proprietary Solar and Lunar Tinctures, which he promoted for complaints ranging from nervous disorders and rheumatism to respiratory disease and other chronic conditions.
The resulting work is considerably more than an obstetrical manual. It is a characteristic example of the medical culture of the late eighteenth century, combining anatomy, reproductive medicine, case history, proprietary remedies and Sibly’s broader belief in unseen vital forces governing the human body.
Its combination of medicine, anatomical illustration, reproductive history and Sibly’s association with astrology and occult philosophy gives the title an unusually broad appeal within specialist collecting.
SKU: BTETM0002299
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
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