CROOKE, A DESCRIPTION OF THE BODY OF MAN, LONDON, 1634, CONTEMPORARY CALF

8vo (188 x 126mm.), woodcut illustration of two skeletons on title-page, without initial blank leaf, separate title-page for "An explanation of the fashion and use of three and fifty instruments... gathered out of Ambrosius Pareus", woodcut initials and illustrations, contemporary English calf, printer's waste (from a miniature book, Short grounds of Catechisme, by William Ward?) in binding, a few quires becoming loose, binding rubbed, spine and foot of lower cover defective

William Ralphs, booklabel

STC 20783; Doe, Paré 75; Krivatsy 2931; Wellcome I, 1688

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A reprint of the 1616 Jaggard edition of Crooke's medical text, which was extracted by the Scottish physician Alexander Reid from Crooke's longer Microcosmographia of 1615 (and expanded for the 1631 second edition), which ran to over a thousand pages. This smaller edition was designed to be cheaper and quicker to read, according to Reid's preface, and references to the longer descriptions in the larger work are given on most of the pages. The publisher, Thomas Cotes, also produced the first English edition of the works of Ambroise Paré in 1634 (see lot 186 for Paré's own work). Crooke (1576-1648) based his work on those of Bauhin and Du Laurens, which were in their turn based on Vesalius, and there is certainly some similarity in the illustrations. Its publication was controversial as it was written in English and both the Royal College of Physicians and the bishop of London felt it was highly inappropriate to describe reproductive organs in the vernacular.