Milestones of Science Books

BOREL, Pierre.

Historiarum et observationum medicophysicarum centuriae IV. Quibus ipse quidem subjunxit Isaaci Cattieri . . . observationes medicinales rara; secum communicatas, Renatique Cartesii vitam a se perscriptam; nunc autem aliunde ob argumenti similitudinem accedunt Joh. Rhodii observationes, Arnoldi Bootii de affectibus omissis Tractatus [et] Petri Matthaei Rossii Consultationes [et] observationes selectae.

Frankfurt & Leipzig: Laur. Sigismund. Cörnerum, 1676.

Hardcover. Very Good. Item #003358

8vo (162 x 95 mm). 6 parts in one volume. [16], 352, [30]; 86; 55 [3]; [32], 178, [30]; 40; [16], 167, [9] pp., general title printed in red and black, separate part-titles, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, engraved and woodcut text illustrations, including blank Mm4, lacking the frontispiece portrait. Bound in contemporary vellum, hand-lettered spine, mottled edges, marbled endpapers (front board with patches of missing vellum, spotting and browning). Text little evenly browned, occasional minor spotting, pencil markings to blank margins in places. Provenance: E. Balaran, Toulouse (bookseller's sticker to front pastedown). ----

D.S.B., II, pp. 305-06; Garrison-Morton 260 (2nd ed.); NLM/Krivatsy 1574; Wellcome II, p. 204 (2nd ed.); Norman 269 (2nd ed.); Honeyman 395 (2nd ed.). SECOND FRANKFURT EDITION of the first work to apply microscopy to medicine. This edition also contains a work by the French physician Isaac Cattier, entitled observationes medicae rariores (first published 1653), Borel's life of Descartes, Johann Rhode's observationes, Arnold Boate's De affectibus omissis Tractatus, and Petrus Matthaeus Rossius' Consultationes & observationes selectae. "Borel probably saw the blood corpuscles and Sarcoptes scabiei." (Garrison-Morton). The use of the microscope in medicine revealed another world for physicians and scientists. There are also a number of dental and ophthalmological observations. Borel (1620-1671), was born at Castres, studied medicine at Montpellier, and began his practice at Castres in 1641. In 1653 he went to Paris and about 1654 was appointed physician to the king. During his whole life he ardently pursued the study of natural history, chemistry, optics, astronomy, antiquities, philology, and bibliography. Among his other works are the first bibliography of chemistry (1654) and the first history of the telescope (1655). Besides practicing medicine, Borel collected rarities, plants, antiquities, and minerals from the town itself and countryside surrounding Castres. - Visit our website to see more images!

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