Verdier - Anatomie du Corps Humain - 1742

VERDIER, CÉSAR. — ABSTRACT OF THE ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY (PARIS, LE MERCIER, 1742).
Paris: P. G. Le Mercier, 1742.
In-12. Full period calf, spine with gold-tooled raised bands.
Important Paris edition under Louis XV of this collection of fundamental medical teaching written by César Verdier, sworn surgeon of Paris and famous demonstrator of anatomy at the Royal College of Surgery.

Published anonymously at its beginnings (By M Chirurgien juré de Paris*), this concise and rigorous abridgment has become one of the most popular manuals among medical students and surgical apprentices of the 18th century for mastering dissections and field surgery.

A beautiful copy preserved in its original binding in brown marbled calf. The leather is well preserved on the boards, the title label is perfectly legible, the spine shows a superficial split along the gilding as well as light wear to the heads and corners. Interior in very fresh condition on laid paper.

In the middle of the 18th century, Paris established itself as the European capital of modern surgery. César Verdier gave anatomy lectures that drew hundreds of students. The manuscript note re-establishing the name "Verdier César" on the title page in the 18th or 19th century testifies to the volume’s status as a practical study book.