Anatomia, das ist sinnreiche, künstliche, begründete Auffschneidung, Theilung, unnd Zerlegung eines vollkommenen menschlichen Leibs und Cörpers, durch alle desselbigen jnnerliche und eusserliche Gliedtmassen und Gefäss, so wol mit eygendtlicher Beschreibung erkläret, als mit lebendigen Contrafacturen fürgebildet . . by COLOMBO, Realdo / COITER, Volcher - 1609

Frankfurt am Main: Matthias Becker for Theodor de Bry, 1609. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. Three parts in one volume. Folio (305 x 197 mm). ff. [4], pp. 1-148, ff. 149-160, [4], 161-164, pp. 165-274, [2], including general title dated 1609, 3 section titles on pp. 1, 61 and 225, all dated 1608, pagination of ff. 149-164 single-sided only, with 2 unpaginated leaves between ff. 160 and 161, final blank leaf. General title with engraved device, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, folding letterpress table seamed to fore-edge of p.69, 44 mostly full-page anatomical engravings after Vesalius and Coiter. 18th century three-quarter calf, simple paper boards, some blind ruling, black-dyed edges (joint of upper board split at foot, chipping and worming of spine ends and upper corner of rear board, wear and chipping to extremeties). Text somewhat browned and dust-soiled, some worming to outer blank margins, occasional minor spotting and staining, title page with upper right corner torn-off and with old paper rebacking, light dampstaining at foot and a vertical crease. Provenance: John B. Murphy, Chicago (bookplate to front pastedown), illegible ownership signatures to title page, ownership inscriptions on final endpaper, dated 1817 and 1845 (the latter signed "Jean ? De Willer"). ----

RARE FIRST GERMAN EDITION of Colombo's De re anatomica (1559) which contains the first description of the pulmonary blood circulation, and of Coiter's Lectiones (1575). The edition consists of three parts, each with its own title page (dated 1608). Colombo's text is preceded by a series of anatomical plates which actually are re-engravings of Vesalius' work. The present engravings bear page numbers and sheet signatures in the plate from a more extensive work, so they seem to have already been used. Colombo's treatise is followed by the first German edition of Volcher Coiter's Diversorum animalium sceletorum explicationes iconibus illustratae with 20 (16 full-page) engraved illustrations, including the famous bird skeletons, which first appeared as an appendix in Fallopio's Lectiones de partibus similaribus humani corporis (Nuremberg, 1575). Coiter (1543-1600), who studied with Fallopio (1523-62), published his teacher's lectures in 19 chapters, augmented with his own commentary. "The inspiration for his appendix came from Aldrovandi; however, Coiter's illlustrations, most of which he etched himself, are far superior in quality to the zoological illustrations of Aldrovandi, and they occupy a prominent position in the history of zoology and comparative anatomy" (Herlinger). "The engravings are neat and anatomically exact. The 4 plates last mentioned especially (of skeletons of mamals, amphibia, and birds), are freely and thruthfully executed" (Choulant). These plates (except for that of the mouse sceleton) were re-engraved and used in Johann Andreas Schenck's German translation of 1609. Added here for the first time is the full-page illustration of a baboon (papiones cynocephali, p.263). Coiter distinguished himself by his accurate research on cartilage, bones and nerves, recognized the value of morbid anatomy, and made experiments on living animals to ascertain the action of the heart and the influence of the brain. References: Choulant-Fr. 210; NLM/Krivatsy 2617; Waller 2075; Nissen 921 (rem). Garrison-Morton 378.1, 284 and Norman 497, 501 (for 1st eds). - Visit our website to see more images!