Cowper, Myotomia Reformata, 1724
Myotomia Reformata: or an Anatomical Treatise on the Muscles of the Human Body. Illustrated with Figures after the Life. By the late Mr. William Cowper, Surgeon and Fellow of the Royal Society. To which is prefix’d an Introduction concerning Muscular Motion. London: Printed for Robert Knaplock, and William and John Innys, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard; and Jacob Tonson, in the Strand. 1724.
Folio in modern full brown paneled leather (Cambridge binding), with raised bands, red title label, black rolls and embellishments. Mild shelf wear, as well as a few additional small scuffs. Blind stamped dentelles. Speckled page edges. New end papers. Black and Red title page. Very rare foxing or other small stains. Leaves slightly toned but still quite bright. Binding tight throughout. Ample margins.
Taped marginal tears at bottom, fore-edge, and gutter of frontis. Taped gutter tears involving *B2, and *C. Taped tear across S. Repaired gutter tears of X. Taped tear of head of Ii. Taped tear involving bottom of image of Table 1. Taped tears involving bottom margin of Table 6. Small tear at bottom margin of Table 12. Taped tear involving top margin of Table 49. Taped tear across top corner of margin of Table 66. Bottom corner torn from *C2. Ink drawn sketches on verso of Table 16 and recto of Table 17. Pencil sketch on recto of Table, 19, verso of Table 32, verso of Table 35, and on bottom half of page 186.
Frontis piece, 67 tables (plates) numbered as 66 because Table 13 is in two sequential variants. 37 decorative capitals, 41 figures (first 33 being geometrical in-text, then 8 anatomical tailpieces beginning at page 12), 15 anatomical headpieces, 61 non-anatomical tailpieces (largely classical, botanical, and mythical themes). Totaling 222 engravings, plus one bifolio table (Syllabus Musculorum). Pg 115 is a title page (Explanation of the Tables).
“This work made a modest first appearance in 1694 as an octavo, but Cowper worked until his death on a new edition which was finally published posthumously under the supervision and at the expense of Richard Mead (1673-1754). This sumptuous folio with engravings after Rubens and Raphael and ingenious set of historiated initials ranks among the most artistic anatomical atlases of the period.” Garrison-Morton 392.1
“William Cowper had been born at Paterfield, Sussex, and at sixteen was apprenticed to William Bignall, a London Surgeon. In 1691 Cowper settled in London, and three years later published Myotomia Reformata..., which was reprinted at the expense of Mead in 1724. This is an excellent book.... He (Cowper) became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1696, and died in 1709 at Bishop Sutton, Hampshire, to which place he had retired.” “Dr. Johnson once said” ‘Dr. Mead lived more in the broad sunshine of life than almost any man,’ and when he died on February 16, 1754, he had certainly lived a very comfortable existence throughout his career.” Thornton, pgs 99, 278.
(The 8vo first edition is Waller 2191). Cowper is also now famously remembered for Cowper’s Glands, as well as his plagiarisms (in another work, not the Myotomia Reformata) of anatomic plates previously published by Govert Bidloo.
Collation: New ffep, frontis, title, (*A), *B-*C^2, a-t^2, v, (A)-Gg^2, I-IV, Hh, V Hh2, VI, Ii, VII-VIII, Ii2, IX-X, Kk, XI-XIV, Kk2, XV, Ll, XVI-XVII, Ll2, XVIII-XIX, Mm, XX-XXI, Mm2, XXII-XXIII, Nn, XXIV-XXV, Nn2, XXVI, Oo-Oo2, XXVII-XXVIII, Pp-Pp2, XXIX-XXX, Qq, XXXI, Qq2, XXXII-XXIII, Rr, XXXIV-XXXV, Rr2, XXXVI, Ss, XXXVII, Ss2, XXXVIII, Tt, XXXIX, Tt2, XL, Uu, XLI, Uu2, XLII-XLIII, Xx, XLIV, Xx2, XLV, Yy, XLVI-XLVIII, Yy2, XLIX-L, Zz, LI-LII, Zz2, LIII, Aaa, LIV-LVI, Aaa2, LVII-LVIII, Bbb, LIX-LX, Bbb2, LXI-LXII, Ccc, LXIII-LIV, Ccc2, LXV, Dddd, LXVI, new rfep.
Pagination: New ffep, frontis, title, (9), i-lxxvii, bifolium syllabus, 116, I-IV, 117/118, V, 119/120, VI, 121/122, VII-VIII, 123/124, IX-X, 125/126, XI-XIV, 127/128, XV, 129/130, XVI-XVII, 131/132, XVIII-XIX, 133/134, XX-XXI, 135/136, XXII-XXIII, 137/138, XXIV-XXV, 139/140, XXVI, 141/144, XXVII-XXVIII, 145/148, XXIX-XXX, 149/150, XXXI, 151/152, XXXII-XXXIII, 153/154, XXXIV-XXXV, 155/156, XXXVI, 157/158, XXXVII, 159/160, XXXVII, 161/162, XXXIX, 163/164, XL, 165/166, XLI, 167/168, XLII-XLIII, 169/170, XLIV, 171/172, XLV, 173/174, XLVI-XLVIII, 175/176, XLIX-L, 177/178, LI-LII, 179/180, LIII, 181/182, LIV-LVI, 183/184, LVII-LVIII, 185/186, LIX-LX, 187/188, LXI-LXII, 189/190, LXIII-LXIV, 191/192, LXV, 193/194, LXVI, new rfep.
We have sold a copy of this previously in which the two versions of Table 13 were not sequentially on the recto, but opposing one another verso to recto. That copy also had the Syllabus at the end, rather than preceding the text. Regardless, this copy collates and paginates complete per Heirs.
18 3/8 x 13 x 2 1/2 inches.
