New: Holbein, Hans, 1497-1543. The dances of death, through the various stages of human life ... London, Printed by S. Gosnell, 1803.

The Dance of Death, often referred to as "Danse Macabre" is a gruesome medieval and renaissance symbol of the all-encompassing and universal power of death. Originally a 14th century morality poem, written shortly after the plague of the 1340's that wiped out a high proportion of the European populace, images of the allegory made their way into print shortly thereafter. The most famous of these was a series of wood cuts by the German artist and printmaker, Hans Holbein, the younger (1497-1543). Over two centuries later, David Deuchar (1743-1808), a Scottish artist and engraver made a series of copperplates based on Holbein's original work. In 1803, Deuchar, published the work from which the present images are taken: "The dances of death through the various stages of human life: wherein the capriciousness of that tyrant is exhibited. ...", Gosnell, London, 1803. The original book may be examined in the John Martin Rare Book Room, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.

Scultetus, Johannes, 1595-1645. ...Armamentarium chirurgicum... Ulm, Typis & impensis Balthasari Kuhnen, 1655.

Scultetus, born at Ulm on the Danube, was a pupil of Hieronymus Fabricius ab Aquapendente and Adriaan van de Spiegel at Padua where he received a doctorate in medicine, surgery, and philosophy. He eventually settled in Ulm as the city physician after having practiced for a time in Padua and Vienna. His "arsenal of surgery" was published a decade after his death by his nephew, Scultetus the Younger, who edited Scultetus' notes and issued them along with the excellent engravings. The work is best know for the fascinating illustrations reproduced here, including drawings of surgical instruments, bandaging and splinting, numerous operative procedures, and obstetrical delivery by forceps.

Addison, Thomas, 1793-1860. On the constitutional and local effects of disease of the supra-renal capsules. London, Samuel Highley, 1855.

Addison was a brilliant lecturer and diagnostician and one of the most respected physicians at Guy's Hospital in London. In this, his most important work, he describes for the first time two chronic diseases of the adrenal gland: Addison's disease and pernicious anemia (Addison's anemia). The beautifully rendered hand-colored lithographs displayed here are among the most important illustrations in the history of medicine.

Schott, Gaspar, 1608-1666. Physica curiosa... Wurtzburg, Jobus Hertz, 1697.

Schott was one of the most respected scholars of his age. A Jesuit, Schott studied in Rome and taught in Palermo before returning to Augsburg, Germany where he taught and wrote until his death. Although the four volume Magia universalis naturae et artis, was probably his most famous work, Physica curiosa was certainly the most visually arresting and is one of the largest and most densely illustrated of the many "books of curiosity" that flourished during the 16th and 17th centuries. Physica curiosa includes descriptions and depictions of human "monsters" (no doubt inspired by descriptions of real birth anomalies), marvels of the animal world, and mythological creatures such as Satyrs and Centaurs, the existence of which was considered credible by Schott and his contemporaries. Many of the images found here were used in earlier books and found their way into numerous works of the period.

Bell, Charles, 1774-1842. Illustrations of the great operations of surgery : trepan, hernia, amputation, aneurism, and lithotomy. London : Longman, 1821. Mauritii Endteri, 1697.

Sir Charles Bell, a Scottish surgeon and anatomist was one of the greatest scientists in medical history. Among his many contributions to medical science may be included his role in establishing the motor and sensory pathways of the spinal nerves. In addition to his preeminence as an anatomist, physiologist, and surgeon, Bell was also an accomplished artist. All of the drawings for the illustrations in his books were made by him, and they stand unrivaled for their facility, elegance, and accuracy. The graphic and instructive plates shown here provide a glimpse into the world of early 19th century surgery.

Bright, Richard, 1789-1858. Reports of medical cases... London, Longman, Rees, Orme, and Green, 1827-1831.

Bright was a well-known consultant and one of a succession of admired physicians who practiced at Guy's Hospital in London. His powers of observation are apparent in his "Reports of Medical Cases" in which he describes 23 cases including several having to do with kidney diseases and "dropsy" (edema). Bright associated the kidney inflammation that occurs in this disease and its association with albuminuria ("Bright’s Disease"). Bright personally supervised the execution of the hand-colored lithographs which stand among the finest medical illustrations of the early 19th century.

Ladmiral, Jan, 1698-1773. [Six mezzotints]. Leiden [and] Amsterdam; Apud T. Haak [etc.], 1736-1741.

The texts of the following short six works are are bound together because of the remarkable illustrations by Jan Ladmiral. Born in Normandy, Ladmiral and his younger brother were pupils of the German artist Le Blon while they were all working in London. Le Blon had invented a secret process for color mezzotinting which he taught to Ladmiral, but, because of carelessness in making the plates, little came of the process in Le Blon's hands and only one or two of his plates are known. Ladmiral, however, returned to the Continent and presented the invention as being new and his own, offering to make the colored anatomic plates for Albinus, who commissioned him to make the six plates that appear in this collection. They form the first series of full-color anatomical copperplates ever made and are extremely scarce. The works are listed below under the names of the artists who supplied the original drawings from which the mezzotints were fashioned.

Mascagni, Paolo, 1752-1815. Anatomia universa. Pisa, Apud N. Capurro, 1823-1832.

Mascagni was born in central Italy in 1752 and attended the University of Siena where he eventually became professor of anatomy. He laid the foundation for the study of the lymphatics system with his, 1787 publication, Vasorum lymphaticorum corporis humani historia et iconographia. After his death, the drawings and engravings for The Anatomia universa were found and the prints were published in nine series between 1823 and 1832. Together, the 44 nearly life-size hand-colored images constitute the most lavish anatomical work of the 19th century. The atlas is exceedingly rare.

Pietro, da Cortona, 1596-1669. Tabulae anatomicae. Romae, Ex typographia A. de Rubeis, impensis F.Amidei, 1741.

Pietro da Cortona is generally regarded as one of the principal artists of the Italian High Baroque. He was a well-known and successful painter, architect, and designer. It is now generally assumed that the plates in were begun around 1618 before Cortona had become well-known. The plates were probably engraved by Luca Ciamberlano but remained unpublished for over a hundred years, their eventual emergence probably being a product of Cortona's later reputation. Some believe that the drawings were originally supposed to be part of an anatomical text, probably dealing largely with neurology as evidenced by the emphasis the nervous system receives in these illustrations. The dramatic and highly studied poses struck by the figures are in keeping with the style of other Renaissance Baroque anatomical artists; although nowhere does such an approach find any fuller expression than in these plates.

Remmelin, Johan, 1583-1632. Catoptrum microcosmicum. Augustae Vindelicorum [Augsburg], Typis Dauidis francki, 1619.

The fame of Johan Remmelin (1583-1632) rests almost exclusively with the publication of his Catoptrum microcosmicum, probably the most extensive anatomical "flap book" ever produced. Remmelin was town physician in Ulm and later Augsburg where he also served as plague physician. While at Ulm, he conceived the notion of producing an anatomy that could be used to reveal in successive layers, the muscles, bones, and viscera of the human body. The work was printed using eight separate plates which were then cut apart and pasted together to make the three large plates. In some cases a single illustration may have as many as 15 successive layers which can be teased apart to reveal both surface and deep structures.