Germany

1777 CE

#1252

Observationes anatomicae de quinto pare nervorum encephali.

Wrisberg, Professor of Anatomy at Göttingen, is remembered for his discovery of the nervus intermedius (“nerve of Wrisberg”), described in the above treatise.

1778 CE

#2465

Abhandlung fiber die Saamen- und Infusionsthierchen, und über die Erzeugung: nebst mikroskopischen Beobachtungen des Saamens der Thiere, und verschiedener Infusionen.

Gleichen was probably the first to attempt to stain bacteria; he used carmine and indigo.

1778 CE

#1383

Dissertatio inauguralis anatomica de basi encephali et originibus nervorum cranio egredientium libri quinque.

The first accurate enumeration of the 12 cranial nerves, superseding that of Willis (No. 1378). Soemmerring is notable for his accuracy in anatomical illustration. This was his thesis. The same publisher issued an edi…

1778 CE–1779 CE

#3578

Abhandlung von den Brüchen.

Richter, lecturer on surgery at Göttingen, in his classic treatise on hernia, first described partial enterocele, or “Richter’s hernia” (Chap. 24).

1778 CE–1793 CE

#8222

Geographische Geschichte des Menschen und der allgemein verbreiteten vierfüßigen Thiere: nebst einer hieher gehörigen Zoologischen Weltcharte. 3 vols.

Digital facsimile from the Bayerische StaatsBibliothek at this link.

1781 CE

#104

Ueber den Bildungstrieb und das Zeugungsgeschäft.

Blumenbach, Professor of Medicine at Göttingen, was the founder of modern anthropology. In the above work he rejected the “preformation” theory and advanced the theory of epigenesis as the true explan…

1783 CE–1795 CE

#6748

Medicinische Bibliothek. 3 vols.

Includes detailed abstracts of periodical literature.

1784 CE

#14210

Die Deutsche [sic] Giftpflanzen, zur Verhütung der tragischen Vorfälle in den Haushaltungen, nach ihren botanischen Kennzeichen, nebst den Heilungsmitteln.

On poisonous plants in Germany, for prevention of tragic household accidents, and remedies for the poisons. Illustrated with 16 plates. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

1784 CE–1790 CE

#77

Sämmtliche kleinere Schriften. 3 vols.

Camper, an artist of skill, made his mark as an anthropologist and craniologist. He discovered the processus vaginalis of the peritoneum and the fibrous structure of the eye, and made several other important contribut…

1784 CE–1791 CE

#215.3

Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit. 4 vols.

Herder’s history has long been regarded as a very strong statement of Darwinian evolution before Darwin: many single passages come close to the evolution theory. Among the passages most often regarded as anticip…

1785 CE

#2279

Von den Krankheiten des Bauchfells und dem Schlagfluss.

Text in Latin and German. Includes an accurate description of peritonitis.

1786 CE

#6749

Introductio in historiam medicinae litterarium.

An annotated subject bibliography of the history of medicine, arranged chronologically from antiquity to Blumenbach’s time.

1787 CE

#10480

Gifthistorie des Thier- Pflanzen- und Mineralreichs, nebst den Gegengiften, und der medicinischen Anwendung der Gifte, nach den neuesten Toxicologen.

This work was not illustrated. Digital facsimile from Bayerische StaatsBibliothek at this link.

1788 CE–1789 CE

#5199

Abhandlung über die venerische Krankheit. 3 vols.

Girtanner’s important textbook on the venereal diseases contains some history.

1790 CE–1811 CE

#157

Beyträge zur Naturgeschichte. 2 pts.

English translation, London, 1865.

1790 CE–1828 CE

#198

Decas collectionis suae craniorum diversarum gentium illustrata. 6 parts plus supplement.

Blumenbach was the founder of craniology, and his craniological collection served as the principal foundation for his investigations into the natural history of mankind. He used the norma verticalis, the shape of the …

1791 CE

#12894

Abhandlung über Flüsse und Entzündungen, wovon Geschwülste und Zahnfleischgeschwüre herrühren.

One of the first treatises on gum diseases, which around a century later would be called periodontics. Digital facsimile from Bayerische StaatsBibliothek at this link.

1791 CE–1796 CE

#400

Vom Baue des menschlichen Körpers. 5 pts.

Soemmerring’s text-book contained only facts actually observed by him. He departed from the usual practice of including physiology with anatomy. The book was very popular in German medical schools, and Meckel co…

1792 CE

#158

Ueber den natürlichen Unterschied der Gesichtszüge in Menschen verschiedener Gegenden und verschiedenen Alters.

This work on physiognomy includes Camper’s description of his craniometrical methods. Camper is chiefly remembered for the “facial angle” of his own invention. The book first appeared in Dutch in 179…

1792 CE–1795 CE

#1776

Versuch einer allgemeinen medizinisch-praktischen Geographie, worin der historische Theil der einheimischen Völker-und Saaten-Arzeneykunde vergetragen wird. 3 vols.

The first comprehensive medical geography. See George Rosen, "Leonhard Ludwig Finke and the first medical geography," IN: Underwood, E. A. (ed.). Science and medicine in history: Essays on the evolution of scientific …

1793 CE

#104.1

Das entdeckte Geheimnis der Natur im Bau und in der Befruchtung der Blumen.

Sprengel demonstrated for the first time that the whole structure of nectar-bearing flowers is adapted for fertilization by insects. In his study of the Rose-bay Sprengel discovered dichogamy – that in some plan…

1793 CE

#6022

Ueber die Wirkungen der Schnürbrüste.

Soemmerring enumerated the bad effects of tight corsets on the internal organs of women. His book created much interest and resulted in a great decline in the fad of tight lacing and hoop skirts. This is the second ed…

1793 CE–1797 CE

#6750

Initia bibliothecae medico-practicae et chirurgicae realis sive repertorii medicinae practicae et chirurgiae. 8 vols.

The first important classified bibliography of medical literature covering both monographic material and current periodicals.

1795 CE

#2609.1

De morbis vasorum absorbentium corporis humani.

Soemmerring noted an association between pipe smoking and cancer of the lip (p. 109).

1796 CE

#7723

Anatomisches museum. Gesammelt von Johann Gottlieb Walter. Beschrieben von Friedrich August Walter. 2 vols.

Includes fine hand-colored plates of kidney stones and gall stones. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

1796 CE

#13243

De corporis humani viribus conservatricibus dissertatio.

Young's thesis for his medical degree from Göttingen on the conservation of strength in the human body, which also contains, on the final four pages, the only extant fragment of Young's brief thesis on the human …

1796 CE

#6849

Versuch über ein neues Prinzip zur Auffindung der Heilkräfte der Arzneisubstanzen, nebst einigen Blicken auf die bishberigan.

Hahnemann's first presentation of his new system of medicine. English translation in The Lesser Writings of Samuel Hahnemann, Collected and Translated by R. E. Dudgeon, London: W. Headland, 1851, 195-357.

1797 CE

#1602

Die Kunst das menschliche Leben zu verlängern

Hufeland’s “Makrobiotik”, one of the most popular books of its time on personal hygiene. It was translated into all European languages. Hufeland was court physician at Weimar. English translation, 1797.

1797 CE

#401

Tabula sceleti feminini juncta descriptione.

Soemmerring was noted for his accuracy in anatomical illustration, and the above work is a fine example of his artistic sense. For it he selected the skeleton of a well-built girl of 20 years. Great care was taken in …

1797 CE

#7119

Versuche über die gereizte Muskel- und Nervenfaser: nebst Vermuthungen über den chemischen Process des Lebens in der Thier- und Pflanzenwelt. 2 vols.

Digital facsimile from The Medical Heritage Library, Internet Archive, at this link.

1799 CE

#1553

De penitiori ossium structura commentarius.

1799 CE

#473

Icones embryonum humanorum.

Soemmerring met William Hunter during a visit to London in 1778. The latter’s classic work on the pregnant uterus (No. 6157) dealt only with the latter half of pregnancy. Soemmerring therefore decided, in a supp…

1799 CE–1803 CE

#6750.1

Bibliotheca medico-practica et chirurgica realis recentior sive continuatio et supplementa initiorum bibliothecae medico-practicae et chirurgicae. 4 vols.

Continuation of No. 6750.

1801 CE

#1489

Abbildungen des menschlichen Auges.

Soemmerring is best remembered for his fine anatomical illustrations, of which those devoted to the human eye are a good example. In 1791 he made important observations on the macula lutea: "De foramine centrali limbo…

1801 CE

#3580

Icones herniarum. Editae a S. T. Soemmerring.

Camper illustrated his own work, and was an outstanding anatomical artist. His illustrations of hernias are of great value.

1801 CE

#1988.1

Versuche des Galvanismus zur Heilung einiger Krankheiten.

Grapengiesser was the first physician to use Volta’s “pile”, the first battery, which Volta first described in print in 1800. Grapengiesser “noted that in paralyzed muscle excitability could be…

1801 CE–1821 CE

#6750.3

Repertorium commentationum a societatibus litterariis editarum. 16 vols.

A classified subject index to the contents of learned society journals to the end of the 18th century. Vols. 10-16 deal with medicine and surgery. Reprinted, New York, Franklin, 1961.

1802 CE–1822 CE

#105.1

Biologie: oder Philosophie der lebenden Natur für Naturforscher und Aerzte. 6 vols.

Simultaneously with Lamarck, Treviranus coined the term “biology” for the study of living things, and he was the first to use it in a book title. This massive work was a summary of all basic knowledge abou…

1803 CE

#3678.1

Praktische Darstellung aller Operationen der Zahnheilkunst.

This work contains one of the earliest histories of dentistry.

1804 CE

#5481

Neue Ansichten der Hundswuth, ihrer Ursachen und Folgen, nebst einer sichem ehandlungsart der von tollen Thieren gebissenen Menschen.

Zinke transmitted rabies from a rabid dog to a normal one, and to a rabbit and a hen, by injection of saliva and proved the disease to be infectious. Digital facsimile from wellcomecollection.org at this link.

1805 CE

#6850

Fragmenta de viribus medicamentorum positivis sive in sano corpore humano observatis. 2 vols.

Hahnemann's first published homeopathic book, his first title on Materia Medica and Repertory, and the first collection of drug provings on the healthy body. The book lists the health effects of 27 drugs in common use…

1805 CE

#312

Handbuch der vergleichenden Anatomie.

Blumenbach, physiologist and anthropologist, was Professor of Medicine at Göttingen. He was the first to show the value of comparative anatomy in the study of anthropology; his classic text went through many edit…

1806 CE

#1455

Abbildungen der menschlichen Organe des Geschmackes und der Stimme.

1806 CE

#1554

Abbildungen des menschlichen Hoerorganes

1807 CE

#199

Ueber die Bedeutung der Schädelknochen.

Oken’s vertebral theory of the skull.

1808 CE

#13355

Tableau historique des maladies internes de mauvais caractère qui ont affligé la grande armée dans la campagne de Prusse et de Pologne, et notamment de celles qui ont été observées dans les hôpitaux militaires et les villes de Thorn, Bromberg, Fordon et Culm, dans l'hiver de 1806 à 1807, le printems et l'été de 1807, suivi de réflexions sur les divers modes de traitement de ces maladies adoptés par les médecins français et allemands.

Digital facsimile from biusante.parisdescartes.fr at this link.

1808 CE

#927

Über den Bau der Lungen.

In 1804 the Berlin Akademie der Naturwissenschaften offered a prize for the best essay on the structure and function of the lungs. The prize was won by Reisseisen, while Soemmerring received honorable mention. The tex…

1808 CE–1809 CE

#6750.2

Literatura medica digesta sive repertorium medicinae practicae, chirurgiae atque rei obstetriciae. 4 vols.

A revised edition, with 40,000 additional citations, of Nos. 6750 and 6750.1. A supplement (1 vol.) was published in 1813.

1808 CE–1812 CE

#314

Beyträge zur vergleichenden Anatomie. 2 vols. in 3.

Digital facsimile facsimile from the Hathi Trust at this link.

1809 CE

#1454

Abbildungen der menschlichen Organe des Geruches.