Description
Lisbon, Typografia da mesma Academia [Real das Sciencias], 1829.. First Edition. 4°, mid-twentieth–century tan full calf by Frederico d'Almeida, spine richly gilt with raised bands in five compartments, two burgundy leather lettering pieces, gilt letter, two gilt fillets along borders of covers, marbled endleaves, top edge rouged, other edges uncut, contemporary decorated wrappers bound in. Woodcut device of Real Academia das Sciencias de Lisboa on title page. Handsome; in fine condition. Letters "M.T.C.R." stamped in gilt at foot of spine. Small rectangular paper letterpress ticket of Frederico d'Almeida, Rua António Maria Cardoso, 31, in upper outer corner of verso of front free endleaf. (2 ll.), 205 pp., (1 l., 2 ll. advertisement). *** FIRST EDITION. We have seen no reference or actual copy of any earlier, but Borba writes, "Some authorities consider this edition . . . to be the second, and that of 1822 the first. However, this edition, printed according to the 'Artigo extrahido das Actas da Academia Real das Sciencias da sessão de 8 de junho de 1827,' does not refer to the previous edition, and sanctions this publication as if it were the first." Mello Franco describes the symptoms and treatment of intermittent and continuous fevers, including the use of quinine, arsenic, purgatives, etc., and includes case studies. The effect of Rio de Janeiro's climate on these fevers is discussed on pp. 36-68. Mello Franco (1757-1823), a native of Minas Geraes, practiced medicine in Lisbon until 1817, when he returned to Brazil. He was frequently in trouble with the authorities for his liberal writings and associations, and spent several years imprisoned by the Inquisition. His Tratado da educação fysica dos meninos, Lisbon 1790, is the first book on pediatrics by a Brazilian. Reino da estupidez, a satirical poem aimed at the professors of Coimbra, was circulating anonymously in manuscript as early as 1785 (the first printed version was not until 1818), and caused an enormous scandal. Among the illustrious clients of the binder Frederico d'Almeida were the Count of Barcelona and the exiled former King Umberto of Italy. Provenance: The letters "M.T.C.R." are very possibly those of the historian Maria Teresa Campos Rodrigues, co-editor of Cortes Portuguesas: Reinado de D. Afonso IV (1325-1357) and author, editor, co-editor or translator of numerous other important historical works dealing chiefly with medieval Portugal. *** Borba de Moraes (1983) I, 322. Sacramento Blake III, 45: calling for 213 pp. Innocêncio III, 10-11: calling for 8 preliminary pages. JCB, Portuguese and Brazilian Books 829/3. Pires de Lima, Catálogo da Bibliotheca da Escola Medico-Cirurgica do Porto 1663. Lisbon, Faculdade de Medicina, Catálogo da colecção portuguesa I, 131. Ferreira de Mira, História da medicina portuguesa p. 295. On the Lisbon binder/finisher Frederico d'Almeida, see Matias Lima, Encadernadores portugueses, pp. 19–23. NUC: DNLM, NIC, DCU-IA, RPJCB.
