The most influential botanical work by the co-founder of cell theory

SCHLEIDEN, Matthias Jacob.

Grundzüge der Wissenschaftlichen Botanik nebst einer methodologischen Einleitung. . . Two volumes in one.

Leipzig: E A. Brockhaus for Wilhelm Engelmann, 1842.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002775

1842-1843. 8vo (210 x 130 mm). [i-xi] xii-xxvi, [1] 2-289 [3]; [i-v] vi-xvii, [1] 2-564 pp., including half-titles, errata leaf at end of vol. I, pp. 225-240 misbound after p.272 in vol. I, errata on pp. [559]-564 in vol. II. Contemporary half cloth over marbled boards, spine lettered in gilt (head of spine chipped, extremities little rubbed and chipped, upper inner hinge cracked, corners bumped, front endpaper repaired, binding somewhat weak, tape residue to boards). Light browning and occasional minor spotting of text, some dog-earing and creasing to lower corner, little staining of second half title from formerly inserted pressed plant. Provenance: Botanische Staatssammlung München (library stamps to front flyleaf, half-title and some text pages, shelf mark in pencil to half-title). Still very good copy. Collated complete. ----

Dibner 31; Horblit 93b; Sparrow 177; Norman 1908; Pritzel 8224; Waller 11732; D.S.B XII, p.174-5. - FIRST EDITION, AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE, of Schleiden's most extensive and influential botanical work. Schleiden's botany textbook "introduced new pedagogical standards that were to dominate the teaching of botany for years... Schleiden considered the inductive method the only valid one in biology, and the first part of the book constitutes an important document for the study of the methodology of natural history... The entire structure of Schleiden's textbook was fundamentally new. The lengthy work begins with a study of the material elements of the plant. Next there is a large section on plant cytology [which expands upon Schleiden's important 1838 article on cell formation], and then a treatment of morphology and organology. The book, which established the teaching of botany on a completely new basis, was often reprinted and appeared in various translations and adaptations" (DSB XII, p.174-5). "Schleiden eagerly applied himself to the microscopic study of plant structure and growth. From it he derived the imponant conclusion that the cell was the basic unit of any living organism, plant or animal. The latter were no more than aggregates of individual, independent, complete beings - the cells themselves." (Dibner 31).
The separate 3-leaf errata in vol. II that is mentioned in Norman 1908 appears to be a ghost (the errata is found on pp. 559-564).
This work is quite rare. The last copy recorded at auction was the Norman copy (Christie's, New York, 1998, lot 1289, sold USD 4025.00). - Visit our website for additional images and information.

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