Practice of Modern Physic: (Includes the first appearance of Edgar A Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum")

This First Edition copy of A Practice of Modern Physic, Reduced To The Most Simple Form, Consistent With Efficacy, by Henry Wilkins (Student of Medicine, 1791 and 1792) was published and printed by Parry Hall of Philadelphia in 1793. The book, which measures approximately 4 inches wide by 6 ½ inches tall by ½ inch thick, contains 94 pages of text devoted to descriptions of the causes, symptoms, management and cures for all sorts of diseases and health problems. (It is probable that several pages of the book may be missing, such as pages 4-5 which appears to have been cut out, and 2 or more pages at the end of the book that would have better completed the book's text.)

The book is hard bound in brown cloth covered boards, which are in poor condition with wear on all surfaces, a semi-detached front cover, and a break in the spine cover. The pages of the book show the signs of aging, with tanning, brittleness along the edges, and instances of detached or semi-detached pages or page groups. The text, however, is clear and easy to read. The overall condition of the book is fair.

There are three inscriptions on the front free end papers. The first two, on a deeply darkened page, read "Dr. John Worthington from his friend H. Wilkins" and the second "From your friend Lyde Goodwin to Ebin. H. Win.". On the following sheet the Goodwin inscription is repeated, in a more easily read form, as "From your friend Lyde Goodwin of Baltimore to Ebin. H. Min. - June 1805".

The illustrations accompanying this description show the book's covers, the Title page, one inscription page, and one typical 2-page spread of text.