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ATLAS FOR NOUVELLES DÉMONSTRATIONS D'ACCOUCHEMENTS.
(Paris: Bechet j[eun]e et Labé, 1840). 447 x 303 mm. (17 1/2 x 12"). Plate volume only, without the text (as frequently). Second Edition.
Modern half cinnabar buckram over marbled boards, smooth spine with black morocco label. Original paper covers bound in at front and back. WITH 81 SOMETIMES MEMORABLE ANATOMICAL PLATES engraved by Forestier and Couché fils after drawings by Antoine Chazal. Corners a bit bumped, title page and first plate a bit foxed, just a hint of foxing elsewhere, otherwise quite fine--the plates clean, fresh, and bright, and the binding showing little significant wear.
Engraved to accompany a treatise on pregnancy and childbirth by the most eminent French obstetrician of the time, the engravings here, in Waller's words, are "splendid" and "executed with the utmost accuracy." "Heirs of Hippocrates" observes that these plates "cover virtually every phase of childbirth including pelvic deformities, pelvimetry, transverse presentations, Caesarean section, the use of forceps, and even a section on infant feeding and lactation." There is also a demure depiction of a doctor's discreet "touch only" examination of a standing, clothed woman, which is surely one of the most memorable images in the literature. Considered one of the best men in his field, Jacques-Pierre Maygrier (1771-1835) studied with Ambrose du Bois, the doctor who attended Empress Marie Louise at the birth of Napoleon's son and heir. In addition to practicing at Cochin hospital and the Hotel-Dieu, Maygrier taught courses in anatomy and physiology, and succeeded Jean-Louis Baudelocque as Chair of the department of obstetrics at the Maternité de Port Royal, the first specialized medical chair in France. The illustrations here are the work of Antoine Chazal (1793–1854), best known for his botanical paintings, but also a renowned anatomical engraver, illustrating works that included Cruveilhier's classic "Anatomie Pathologique du Corps Humain." The images here are much more artful than technical, with an appropriate softness and sympathy that encourage a strong connection between the viewer and the mothers and children who are sometimes depicted in intimate settings. (ST20999)
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