VESLING, JOHANN. 1598-1649.


Syntagma Anatomicum. Padua: Paolo Frambotti, 1647. 4to (250 x 199 mm). Extra engraved title page, woodcut vignette on title page, 24 engraved plates. Contemporary calf. Wear and chipping to binding, front hinge cracking, scattered spotting throughout.RARE FIRST PRINTING OF THE SECOND EDITION. "The present work is his most important contribution and was popular as a textbook for a number of years. Vesling aimed to explain the parts of the body as they were encountered during dissection and to avoid discussion of theoretical matters in order not to create confusion. However, he departed from his stated purpose to give a clear picture of the circulation of the blood and action of the heart based on Harvey's research" (Heirs of Hippocrates). Vesling was not just a professor of anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua, but also a botanist, director of the University's botanical garden, and a student of the flora of Egypt and Crete. Heirs of Hippocrates 476; Krivatsy 12328.