Wistar, A System of Anatomy, 1817

A System of Anatomy for the Use of Students of Medicine. By Caspar Wistar, M.D. Professor of Anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania. Vols I and II. Philadelphia: Published by Thomas Dobson and Son, at the Stone House, No. 41, South Second Street. William Fry, Printer, 1817. 
 
Two octavo volumes in original full brown leather with red spine labels. Label for vol 1 loose inside. Front hinges cracked but holding. Heads and tails of spines chipped. Boards scuffed. Corners bumped. Shelf wear. Ex institutional library book plate and card sleeve to front and rear paste downs, respectively. Library stamps on all paste downs. “John M Pauli October 31st. 1818” penned on ffep’s, “John Marshall Pauli’s 1818” penned at top of pg 1 in vol 1. Copious faded pencil annotations on all blanks. Interesting early penned list of medical books on verso of last text leaf in vol 1. Mostly clean and bright, though some scattered toning and foxing. Bindings tight. One plate (demonstrating 3 figures of the ethmoid bone) preceding pg 409 in vol 1. Large folding table, mostly intact but with 3 to 4 inch tear at inner-most edge, follows pg 288 in vol 2. 
 
Vol 1: ffep, blank, title-xii, 409, rfep, (with one plate) 
Vol 2: ffep, blank, title-viii, 333, errata on verso of 333, 2 pp ads, blank, rfep 
 
Caspar Wistar (1761-1818). Second edition of the first anatomy book printed in the United States of America (first edition was 1811-1814). “Wistar a native Philadelphian, studied at the University of Pennsylvania and received his M.D. from the University of Edinburgh. He practiced medicine in Philadelphia and, after 1792, taught anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. His System of Anatomy is the first American textbook on the subject and was in widespread use for many years, going through numerous editions.” (Heirs 721). Later editions came under editorship of Horner, and then Pancoast.