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London: John Cuthell 1795. Leather. Garrison Morton 2103 notes: "The starting point of modern investigations of serpent venoms. This work also includes Fontana's description of the ciliary canal in the eye of an ox. This structure does not appear in the human eye, but certain spaces in the trabeculra meshwork are often referred to as the spaces of Fontana. The greatly expanded French translation, 2 vols, 1781, includes Fontana's work on the anatomy of the nerves and nerve regeneration. Vol 2 discusses American poisons." (referring to the first edition in Italian, "Ricerche fisiche sopra il veleno della vipera". Lucca, J. Giusti, 1767). Heirs of Hippocrates (628) notes that Fontana, an Italian abbot, "was a distinguished naturalist and physiologist whose original and important researches on serpent venoms were published in Italian in 1767." We found a number of scholarly articles online which refer to Fontana as the founder of Modern Toxinology, although we could find no traditional sources which corroborated this claim. We offer here the second edition of this work, published in 2 volumes in London in 1795, after the greatly expanded French translation of 1781. Based solely on institutional holdings, this edition appears to be somewhat scarcer than the first edition. We note several copies of the 1787 edition available online, but none of the edition we offer here. Vol 1: xix, [1-blank],409, [1-blank],xiv (index). Vol 2: (2), ii, [1-blank], [1-errata], [1]-395], [1-blank], xiv (index), vi (explanation of plates), 10 folding plates, vii-xxii (continuation of explanation of plates). Contemporary calf with matching red labels (Fontana on Poison) and volume labels with simple gold rules for compartments. Rubbing and wear to the leather on both volumes, particularly rough on the top edges of Vol 2. Volume 1 front joint split top 2 inches, headband lacking, otherwise sound. Volume 2 front joint split but holding (hinge fine), rear joint split top 2 inches. Spines darkened, most strongly at the base of Volume 2. 3 previous owners' names "Jacob Dewees" (with nice early paper label), O. H. Gibbs Physician and Surgeon Waldon Mich. Stamp, and signature of John P. Jacobs. Occasional foxing, light browning to the pages. Overall a good set. Full title: Treatise on the Venom of the Viper ; on the American Poisons ; and on the Cherry Laurel, and some other Vegetable Poisons. To which are annexed, Observations on the Primitive Structure of the Animal Body; Different Experiments on the Reproduction of the Nerves; and a Description of a New Canal of the Eye. With Ten Descriptive Plates. Author: Fontana, Felix [Fontana, Abbe Felice], translated from the original French by Joseph Skinner Title: Treatise on the Venom of the Viper ; on the American Poisons ; and on the Cherry Laurel, and some other Vegetable Poisons. To which are annexed, Observations on the Primitive Structure of the Animal Body; Different Experiments on the ... Good.

[Book #16416]