Dr. Lower's and several other Eminent Physicians RECEIPTS : Containing the Best and Safest METHOD of Curing most Diseases in Humane Bodies. Very useful for all Sorts of People, especially those who live remote from Physicians The Fourth Edition, with Additions.
London: Printed for A. Roper ; R Gosling ... ; and S. Butler 1716. Fourth Edition. [6], 107, [7-index printed] pages plus [7 - manuscript index] pages tipped in. 4 x 6 inches. Full leather binding with simple double blind stamped ruled borders on front and rear panels. Spine with portions of early label at top. Several inked notations, including Johannes Woodman (at head of title page), Sarah Winfield (his book) on front pastedown, and "John Woodman Surgeon July e/y : 28 : 1728" (July the 28th, 1728), and finally John Woodman, July 1, 1728 on rear pastedown. After the Preface is (faintly) "John Woodman son of Phillip Wood" with an inscription below that I can't decipher but may be a prescription (starting with Rx?). Good. Boards. [27518]
This recipe/pharmacopiae went through several printings over time. This example is perhaps unique for how it was user adapted by a previous owner. The owner (perhaps surgeon John Woodman) added manuscript numbers next to each malady/solution and used these numbers to create a new tipped in manuscript index called Index Remediorum, or an index of cures. They also augmented the printed index to be more complete. In this way the work could be used as a reference in either "direction" - starting with a malady loooking for a cure, or a cure and working backwards.
The preface is signed in print JW. It is tempting to say John Woodman is the author, and that this copy has updates for a potential future edition. While possible, the name is common enough that we aren't comfortable there. "John Woodman son of Phillip Wood..." is interesting since there is a "Phil. Woodman" ("Practitioner in Physick and Chirurgery") who published a work "Medicus Novissimus: Or, the Modern Physician" in 1712, and a second edition in 1722. John Woodman, Surgeon could easily be the son following in the father's footsteps. There are also some similarities to the prefaces of the two books. Phil. Woodman opines that amateurs treating patients with many medicines hoping one will cure them may often as not kill the patient. He prefers to make his book accessible, solutions clear and concise (working with Nature as common practice at the time) so that potential practitioners not versed in Latin can use it. The current work certainly subscribes to those philosophies, and a reverse index might be construed to help diagnose how medicines used by others might have created harm to patients (not a scientific explanation or proper usage given today's understandings, but a natural thought process for a practitioner).
Regardless of the puzzle of ownership markings, an interesting and useful book, showing how at least one practitioner modified what was printed in order to better suit their needs.
ITEM SOLD