Rare Books

Most of the books in the Markus Library Rare Book Collection were bequeathed by Alfred Einstein Cohn (1879-1957), emeritus of The Rockefeller Institute, one of the first cardiologists in the U.S., a scholar whose interests encompassed many fields and earned his high regard in the world of culture.

The scope of the collection is broad, encompassing the humanities, medicine, and natural history, including botany, agriculture, and geography.

Dr. Cohn's rare volumes of scientific and medical interest, published in 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, include some of the major works of many of the great names in the history of medical science, often in the first editions: Celsus, Thomas Bartholinus, G. Borelli, Malpighi, Leuwenhoek, Richard Lower, Mead, and many others.

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Boerhaave, Hermanni

The Rockefeller University

Boerhaave, Hermanni. Hermanni Boerhaave Sermo academicus: quem habuit, quum, honesta missione impetrata, botanicam et chemicam professionem publice poneret, XXVIII Aprilis, 1729

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Subjects: Science – Early works to 1800

Language: Latin
Boerhaave, Hermanni

The Rockefeller University

Boerhaave, Hermanni. Methodus discendi medicinam, 1726

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Subjects: Medicine – Early works to 1800

Language: Latin
Boerhaave, Hermanni

The Rockefeller University

Boerhaave, Hermanni. Institutions De Médecine, 1750

Subjects: Medicine – Early works to 1800

Notes: V. 7-8 have imprint: Paris, Chez Huart & Moreau fils, Briasson, Durand, Langlois

Language: French
Boerhaave, Hermanni

The Rockefeller University

Boerhaave, Hermanni. Boerhaave's treatise of the materia medica, and forms of medicines, adapted to his aphorisms, on the knowledge and cure of diseases: translated from the last genuine edition of the Latin, 1739

Subjects: Medicine – Early works to 1800

Language: English
Boissier de la Croix de Sauvages, François

The Rockefeller University

Boissier de la Croix de Sauvages, François. Nosologia methodica sistens morborum classes Juxtà Sydenhami mentem & botanicorum ordinem. Auctore Francisco Boissier de Sauvages, Regis consiliario ac medico, in Monspeliensi universitate medicinae, olimque Botanices, Professore regio; Academiae Scientiarium Monspeliensis, Londinensis, Upsaliensis, Berolinensis, Florentinae, Physico-Botanicae, Suecicae, Naturae curiosorum, & Instituti Bononiensis socio, 1768

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Subjects: Nosology – Early works to 1800

Medicine – Early works to 1800

Notes: In two volumes

Language: Latin
Boissier de la Croix de Sauvages, François

The Rockefeller University

Boissier de la Croix de Sauvages, François. Nosologia methodica sistens morborum classes Juxtà Sydenhami mentem & botanicorum ordinem. Auctore Francisco Boissier de Sauvages, Regis consiliario ac medico, in Monspeliensi universitate medicinae, olimque Botanices, Professore regio; Academiae Scientiarium Monspeliensis, Londinensis, Upsaliensis, Berolinensis, Florentinae, Physico-Botanicae, Suecicae, Naturae curiosorum, & Instituti Bononiensis socio, 1768

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Subjects: Nosology – Early works to 1800

Medicine – Early works to 1800

Notes: In two volumes

Language: Latin
Borelli, Giovanni Alfonso

The Rockefeller University

Borelli, Giovanni Alfonso. De motu animalium, 1685

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Subjects: Animal locomotion - Early works to 1800

Notes: Two parts in one volume

Language: Latin
Boyle, Robert

The Rockefeller University

Boyle, Robert. A disquisition about the final causes of natural things, 1688

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Subjects: Blindness – Early works to 1800

Notes: "Some uncommon observations about vitiated sight. London: printed for J. Taylor, at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1688.” pagination and register are continuous. With a final errata leaf and two final advertisement leaves.

Language: English
Boyle, Robert

The Rockefeller University

Boyle, Robert. The excellency of theology, compar'd with natural philosophy, (as both are objects of men's study), 1674

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Subjects: Physics – Early works to 1800

Notes: Discours'd of in a letter to a friend by T.H.R.B.E. fellow of the Royal Society; to which are annex'd some occasional thoughts about the excellency and grounds of the mechanical hypothesis by the same author. T.H.R.B.E. = The Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq.

Language: English
Boyle, Robert

The Rockefeller University

Boyle, Robert. Tracts written by the honourable Robert Boyle: containing new experiments touching the relation betwixt flame and air: and about explosions: an hydrostatical discourse occasion'd by some objections of Dr. Henry More against some explications of new experiments made by the author of these tracts: to which is annex't, an Hydrostatical letter, dilucidating an experiment about a way of weighing water in water,

Subjects: Chemistry – Early works to 1800

Language: English
Boyle, Robert

The Rockefeller University

Boyle, Robert. Some considerations touching the usefulness of experimental natural philosophy: propos'd in a familiar discourse to a friend, by way of invitation to the study of it, 1663

Subjects: Science – Early works to 1800

Notes: Half-title to part 1: "Of the usefulness of natural philosophy. The first part. Of its usefulness in reference to the mind of man. Essay I."

Half-title to part 2: "Of the usefulness of natural philosophy. The second part. The first section. Of its usefulness to physick."

Language: English
Boyle, Robert

The Rockefeller University

Boyle, Robert. The origine of formes and qualities, (according to the corpuscular philosophy) illustrated by considerations and experiments (written formerly by way of notes upon an essay about nitre), 1666

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Subjects: Light, Corpuscular theory of – Early works to 1800

Language: English
Bracciolini, Poggio

The Rockefeller University

Bracciolini, Poggio. Istoria Co' Sommarij a ogni libro, e con la Tauola fatta dal medesimo, 1598

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Subjects: Florence (Italy) – History – Early works to 1800

Language: Italian
Browne, John

The Rockefeller University

Browne, John. Myographia nova: or, a graphical description of all the muscles in the human body, as they arise in dissection, 1698

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Subjects: Human Anatomy – Early works to 1800

Notes: First published in 1681 under the title: A compleat treatise of the muscles. The description of the muscles is based on William Molins' Myskotomia, and the plates partly on Guilio Casserio's Tabula anatomicae.

Language: English
Brown, John

The Rockefeller University

Brown, John. The elements of medicine, or, A translation of the Elementa medicinae Brunonis, 1797

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Subjects: Medicine – Early works to 1800

Notes: A reprint of the translation published in London in 1788. With large notes, illustrations, and comments, by the author of the original work.

Language: English
Byron, John

The Rockefeller University

Byron, John. The narrative of the Honourable John Byron (commodore in a late expedition round the world) containing an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia, from the year 1740, till their arrival in England, 1746. : With a description of St. Jago de Chili, and the manners and customs of the inhabitants. : Also a relation of the loss of the Wager man of war, one of Admiral Anson's squadron, 1768

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Notes: John Byron was a grandfather of Lord Byron

Language: English
Cabanis, P.J.G.

The Rockefeller University

Cabanis, P.J.G. (Pierre Jean Georges). Sketch of the revolutions of medical science, and views relating to its reform, 1806

Subjects: Medicine - History

Notes: Translated from the French, with notes, by A. Henderson

Language: English
Caesar, Gaius Julius

The Rockefeller University

Caesar, Gaius Julius.

Subjects: Gaul – History – Gallic Wars, 58-51 B.C

Language: Latin
Carver, Jonathan

The Rockefeller University

Carver, Jonathan.

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Subjects: Botany – Early works to 1800

Notes: "Trees, shrubs, roots, herbs, flowers, &c.," pp.328-349

Language: English
Celsus, Aulus Cornelius

The Rockefeller University

Celsus, Aulus Cornelius. De medicina libri octo, brevioribus Rob. Constantini, Is. Casauboni aliorumque scholiis ac locis parallelis illustrati, 1687

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Subjects: Medicine, Greek and Roman

Notes: De Medicina is believed to be the only surviving section of a much larger encyclopedia. The De Medicina is a primary source on diet, pharmacy, surgery and related fields, and it is one of the best sources concerning medical knowledge in the Roman world.

Language: Latin