Browne, A Compleat Treatise of the Muscles, 1681

A Compleat Treatise of the Muscles, As they appear in Humane body, And arise in Dissection; With Diverse Anatomical Observations Not yet Discover’d. Illustrated by near Fourty Copper-Plates, Accurately Delineated and Engraven. By John Browne, Sworn Chirurgeon in Ordinary to His Majesty. Non Nobi Nati. In the Savoy. Printed by Tho. Newcombe for the Author. 1681. 
 
Early (original?) speckled brown boards, now worn. Respined at some point (probably 19th century) with early (original?) title label laid down. Corners patched. Marbled page edges. Mild marginal toning of pastedowns. A few small pencil scribbles on verso of ffep. Minute ink writing below year on title page. A few small marginal tears scattered throughout, not involving text or images. Rare foxing and small marginal smudges. Otherwise, clean, bright, and tight throughout. 
 
Ffep, blank, frontis, title^2, ¶^2, a-e^2, f, A1, I1, A2, II, B1, III, B2, IV, C1, V, C2, D-G1, VI, G2, H-L1, VII, L2, M-N2, O^3, VIII, P^3, R1, IX, R2, R3, S1,S2, 10, S3, T1, T2, XI, T3, V^3, XII, X^2, Y1, XIII, Y2, Z1, Z2, XIIII, Z3, Aa1, Aa2, XV, Aa3, Bb1, Bb2, XVI, Bb3, Cc1, XVII, Cc2, Cc3, Dd^3, XVIII, Ee^2, Ff1, XIX, Ff2, Ff3, Gg^2, XX, Hh^2, Ii1, XXI, Ii2, Kk1, XXII, Kk2, Ll^2, XXIII, Mm^2, Nn1, XXIV, Nn2, Oo^2, XXV, Pp-Q^2, XXVI, Rr1, XXVII, Rr2, Ss^2, XXVIII, Tt^2, XXVIIII, Uu^2, XXX, Xx^2, Yy1, XXXI, Yy2, Zz1, XXXII, Zz2, Aaa^2, XXXIII, Bbb^2, XXXIV, Ccc^2, Ddd1, XXXV, Ddd2, Eee1, XXXVI, Eee2, Eee3, XXXVII, Fff-Hhh^2 
 
Ffep, blank, frontis, title^2, ¶^2, a-e^2, f, A-N^2, O-P^3, R-V^3, X^2, Y-Dd^3, Ee^2, Ff^3, Gg-Hhh^2, with 37 plates. 
 
Ffep, blank, frontis, title, (26), 213 with 37 plates, rfep.  
 
Pagination and typographic errors identified: 
No 61, 62, or 81 but seems these were never present as content flows smoothly (pages 61 and 62 seem correspond to no signature Q). Duplicate numbering (but not content) 56, 66, 70, 76, 80, 86, 90, 96, 98, 102, 108, 114, and 204. Page 113 numbered 115. Page 193 numbered 163. Qnad instead of Quad at bottom corner of 165. All plates (Tables) are numbered in Roman numerals, except plate 10, which is in Arabic numbers. 
 
Some of the plates state which folio they correspond to, and most of these are bound in within one or two pages of their corresponding page, but several of the later plates are off by as much as fifteen pages. For example, Tab XXXVI states it should follow fol 189, but is placed after 204 in our copy. 
 
The final statement at the end of the book is an apology for any errors, (with an excuse from the author that he hadn’t sufficient time to review it). 
 
Fol XXVI, Tab VI, fig III (follows pg 26) is the famous illustration of the face with calvaria and cerebrum removed, and left eye drooping after orbital dissection. Fol XLII Tab VII (preceding pg 43) shows excellently rendered lateral views of the head and neck with exposed muscles and neurovasculature. Of interest, the bottom right figure (3) of the tenth table is reminiscent of a similar illustration on page 139 in Meek’ren’s Observationes Medico-Chirurgicae (also published in 1681). As was standard in anatomy books of the time (with the minor exception of Bidloo in 1685) the illustrations show the bodies in animate poses as though they were alive yet dissected. 
  
The list of subscribers includes William Briggs, Robert Boyle, Thomas Browne, Simon Patrick D.D., among many other medical men and divines. 
 
This is the first edition of this work (which was later substantially revised under the new title Myographia Nova in 1684). The book was very well received and Latin and English editions followed. Notoriously, however, this first edition is actually a plagiarism of the text of Muskutomia by Wiliam Molins, and illustrations from the Tabula Anatomicae by Giulio Casseri. Regardless, John Browne continued to revise the work, and ten editions of the Myographia Nova were ultimately printed. See Garrison-Morton 11684 and Waller. 1510. Heirs of Hippocrates 422: “John Browne, physician to King Charles II, James II, and William III, was primarily a surgeon who practiced for a number of years at Norwhich and later was surgeon to St. Thomas’ Hospital, London. His most important contribution was one of the clearest early descriptions of cirrhosis of the liver.”