Boyle's most important medical contribution

BOYLE, Robert.

Memoirs for the Natural History of Humane Blood, Especially the Spirit of that Liquor.

London: Samuel Smith, 1683.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002222

8vo (159 x 94 mm). [xvi], 289, [7] pp., including cancel title, title within 2-line rule border, with the 3 final advertisment leaves. Contemporary calf (upper hinge repaired). Internally only little browned. Provenance: The library of Hugh Selbourne (small stamp to title verso). A fine, crisp and unmarked copy. ----

Norman 308; Heirs of Hippocrates 565; Wing B3993; Fulton 146b; Garrison-Morton 861; NLM/Krivatsy 1708; Waller 1388; Wellcome II, p.223 (1684 ed.); Cushing B579. - FIRST EDITION, second issue of "the first analysis of blood, Boyle's Memoirs may be considered the first scientific study in physiological chemistry, exhibiting methods which have become universally adopted." (Garrison & Morton).
The present work is Boyle's most important medical contribution and is one of the first to deal with the scientific analysis of the blood. Bloodletting was still quite common at the time, so Boyle had little difficulty obtaining blood for his experiments. In his analysis of the blood, Boyle includes its properties of taste, temperature, combustibility, and weight and also mentions its serous and red portions, volatile and fixed salts, oil, mucus content, etc. He discusses human and animal blood, and describes a series of experiments to test the anticoagulating properties of various substances. Boyle also provides a series of remedies prepared from blood for a wide variety of ailments from hysteria and epilepsy to coughs and other respiratory complaints." (Heirs of Hippocrates 565).

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