An Essay on Electricity, Explaining The Principles of that Useful Science; and Describing The Instruments, Contrived Either to Illustrate the Theory, or Render the Practice Entertaining. To which is now added, A Letter to the Author, from Mr. John Birch, Surgeon, on the Subject of Medical Electricity.**Includes catalogue of Instruments sold by the Author** Hardcover - 1792

No. 32, Clerkenwell-Close, London. Sold by the Author , No. 60, Fleet Street.: Printed for the Author by R. Hindmarsh, Printer to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales., 1792 Fourth Edition (First Edition was 1784). Hard cover, 8vo., bound in full tree calf, with rolled "shilling" gilt lines along board edges, the spine decorated in six gilt-outlined compartments, with an onlaid red morocco gilt title label. The endcaps are slightly shorter than the height of the boards . Collation: Folding frontispiece illustration, xi,( including publisher's offering by subscription the Adam's title: "Lectures on Natural Philosophy Considered in it's Present State of Improvement." [1], 588 pp., plus five more numbered fold-out plates at rear, complete. Pages 575-599 consist of the Catalogue of "Mathematical, Optical and Philosophical Instruments Made and Sold by George Adams." **The frontispiece illustration, in fact, depicts the Author, George Adams (1750-1795), demonstrating an iteration of the catalogue's first item, the "Electrical Medical Machine" upon a young girl, chaperoned by Mama, whose lampshade-like millinery confection manages to not quite conceal an air of gentle alarm. The subject of the treatment looks a lot more worried! The Wellcome Collection online shows an earlier version of this print with a printed descriptive tagline ours does not feature, thereby giving a near-contemporary source identifying the artists involved: "Machines drawn by Milne and engraved by J. Lodge. The figures designed by F. Blake and engraved by W. Grainger. Published as the Act directs by C. Cooke, No. 17, Paternoster Row. July 31st, 1789." A further edition would be printed in 1799.**Author and inventor George Adams was one of most influential British scientists of the eighteenth century. He would be named Mathematical Instrument Maker to his Majesty King George IV, taking over the post from his father. Other books of his include:" Essays on the Microscope," "Geometrical and Graphical Essays," An Essay on Vision," "Astronomical and Geographical Essays," and "An Appendix to the Geometrical and Graphical Essays."**CONDITION: Good Minus antiquarian condition. Corners and edges are lightly worn. Edges dusty. Top board is cracked at the joint, has been taped at front hinge, working loose. Spine is cracked, with the remnant of a round paper label, and some losses to the gilt. Rear joint shows wear but is holding; rear hinge in order. Some wear and small area of loss to rear board leather along fore edge. There is an former owner's name in pencil to the front pastedown, from Edinburgh. Another signature in old ink, and a notation on content in pencil in a third hand. There appears to be no foxing, however, the folding plates are very slightly browned at the edges, the frontispiece plate showing a water stain at the gutter which looks like a manufacturing issue? Rear plates have faint annotation of a number next to each item in old pencil. Similarly, there is discoloration on the edges of the pastedowns presumably from glue bleed-through in the original manufacture. Inside, however, the text remains clean, bright, firmly encased and a pleasure to read! ESTC T88412. Wellcome Collection 568044i. . Fourth Edition. Hard Cover. Good Minus. Illus. by T. Milne (artist); F. Blake (artist); J. Lodge (engraver); W. Grainger (engraver) et al..