Jean-Philippe de Limbourg / Julien Offray de La Mettrie - Caractères des Médecins ou l’idée de ce qu’ils sont communément & celle de ce qu’ils devraient être - 1760

This extremely rare book is perhaps one of the most curious works in the history of medicine. It is a satire that intriguingly mocks both physicians and the medical traditions of the time. Averse to all the developments that gave medicine a scientific foundation, basic subjects such as anatomy, biology, chemistry, and so on were considered useless. Physicians should primarily study literature, music, philosophy (logic, rhetoric, etc.), and so on. On the title page, one finds the name of the renowned physician and philosopher Julien Offray de La Mettrie (1709-1751), notorious and well-known for his book "L'homme machine," which compares humans to machines. The name of the true author is not mentioned, but is Jean-Philippe de Limbourg (1726-1811), who studied in Leiden and practiced in Belgium. In 1761, he received his doctorate in medicine. This is the original, later rebound edition, which, given its age, is in reasonably good condition (see photos). This very special book contains one curious, enigmatic print (see photo). Reissues of the book also exist. The most recent, dating from 2025, demonstrates a growing interest and appreciation for this classic mid-18th-century edition.

Due to the consequences of President Trump's policies, this book unfortunately cannot be shipped to America.