Cooper, On Dislocations and Fractures, 1831, 7th ed
A Treatise on Dislocations and Fractures of the Joints. By Sir Astley Cooper, Bart., F.R.S., Sergeant-Surgeon to the King, &c. &c. &c. Seventh edition. London: 1831.
Quarto volume newly rebound in period style quarter leather binding. Brown leather with black title plate and gold text and details on spine. Marbled paper over boards. New end papers. Small fore-edge marginal tear to original ffep. Creas at bottom corner of title page, not involving text. Bottom corner of pages 369 –418, as well as several plates, bumped but does not involve text or images. Variable but mostly thin band of damp stain along fore-edge of most plates (touches image of plate xxviii). Mild foxing and toning throughout, though mostly bright. Margins well retained. Binding tight. A good to very good copy.
Thirty-four plates of fractures and orthopedic interventions. Figure 2 of plate thirty has an additional tab extending the illustration of an orthopedic device across the gutter of the text block.
Nineteenth century prior owner’s signature across top of title page: Robt Daly Walker M. R. C. S. (whom we believe we have located on page 258 of the Calendar of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, July 9 1874., Walker having become a member in 1843).
New blank. ffep, title, v – xx, 1 – 418, 34 plates with explanations, original blank, new blank.
Sir Astley Paston Cooper, 1768 – 1841, was surgeon to Guy’s Hospital. He collaborated with Benjamin Travers (1783 – 1858) on his Surgical Essays. (Thornton pg 156).as a member of the Royal medical Society of Edinburgh (founded in 1737 as an association of students) (Thornton pg 201).
The first edition was 1822 (Garrison-Morton 4412.1), and it remained “the principal reference work on the subject in England and America for 30 years.” Heirs of Hippocrates 741 states there were nine British and two American editions. Waller 2107 lists the 1842 edition in 8vo.
In this book he stressed the importance of blood supply to the fractured components, and also taught that immediate operation of compound fractures could be avoided in select cases (contrary to the dogma of his day).
“...it is a most impressive and important contribution and is probably the most practical of his books and had the widest appeal. … Cooper’s clear and concise teaching was to dispel a cloud of ignorance and error, and his book enabled his doctrines to spread all over the country. … It is beautifully produced and contains...many superb illustrations. … Almost all the common fractures and dislocations are shown dissected and displayed, and much original research work is also illustrated.” (Brock, pgs 86 – 87)
Additionally, Cooper performed a successful operation, including ligation, on carotid artery aneurism (G-M 2955). In 1817 he ligated the abdominal aorta (G-M 2941). His first book was on inguinal hernia and he well-described the transversalis fascia and its importance in the surgical anatomy of hernia (G-M 3581).
