BROWNE, THOMAS. 1605-1682.


Pseudodoxia Epidemica: or, Enquiries into very many received Tenents, and commonly presumed Truths. London: printed by T.H. for Edward Dod, 1646. 4to (266 x 179 mm). Half morocco, a.e.g. Some staining and wear to first and last few leaves.Provenance: William Jenkins (ink signature); Thomas Ledgingham (ink signature); John Smith (ink signature); Lawrason Brown (bookplate).FIRST EDITION of Browne's book denouncing common beliefs and superstitions of his time. Widely read, the book underwent six editions during Browne's lifetime. "[It] now seems more quaint than scientific, but it was practical in an age bound by traditional fallacies. Its purpose was to induce inquiries into popular delusions; for example, Browne denies that elephants lack knees, that crystal is hard ice, and that rubbing with garlic inhibits a magnet's power to attract" (DSB 2, pp 522-523). Lawrason Brown studied under William Osler at Johns Hopkins. As the resident physician at the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium, Brown became a renowned specialist in tuberculosis, and Osler sent several friends and relatives to recuperate under his care. Garrison-Morton 10032; Heirs of Hippocrates 487.