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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Helvétius, Jean Claude Adrien

The Rockefeller University

Helvétius, Jean Claude Adrien. Idée generale de l'oeconomie animale et observations sur la petite verole, 1722

Full text

Subjects: Medicine - Early works to 1800

Smallpox

Language: French
Hofmann von, August Wilhelm

The Rockefeller University

Hofmann von, August Wilhelm. Einleitung in die moderne Chemie: nach einer Reihe von Vorträgen gehalten in dem Royal College of chemistry zu London, 1866

Full text

Subjects: Chemistry

Language: German
Hooper, Robert

The Rockefeller University

Hooper, Robert. A compendious medical dictionary: containing an explanation of the terms in anatomy, physiology, surgery, materia medica, chemistry, and practice of physic - collected from the most approved authors, 1798

Full text

Subject: Medicine - Early works to 1800

Notes: With two final advertisement leaves

Language: English
Huhn, Augustus

The Rockefeller University

Huhn, Augustus. Biblia Hebraica, 1839

Subjects: Bible. -- Old Testament.

Language: Hebrew

A personal gift to Dr. Alfred E. Cohn
Jefferson, Thomas

The Rockefeller University

Jefferson, Thomas. Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson. Edited by Thomas Jefferson Randolph. Vol. II and III. 1829

In 4 volumes

Full text

Language: English
Josephus, Flavius

The Rockefeller University

Josephus, Flavius. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated into English by Sir Roger L'Estrange, Knight, 1709

Subjects: Jews – History

Notes: Second edition

Language: English
La Mettrie de, Julien Offroy

The Rockefeller University

La Mettrie de, Julien Offroy. Traité de la petite vérole: avec la manière de guérir cette maladie: suivant le principes de Mr. Herman Boerhaave, 1740

Subjects: Smallpox - Early works to 1800

Notes: Title vignette; head and tail pieces

Language: French
La Mettrie, Julien Offray de

The Rockefeller University

La Mettrie, Julien Offray de. Ouvrage de Penelope; ou Machiavel en medecine, 1748

In 2 volumes

Full text

Subjects: Medicine

Language: French
Lavoisier, Antoine Laurent

The Rockefeller University

Lavoisier, Antoine Laurent. Traité élémentaire de chimie, 1789

Full text

Subjects: Chemistry – Early works to 1800

Notes: In 2 volumes

Language: French
Lavoisier, Antoine Laurent

The Rockefeller University

Lavoisier, Antoine Laurent. Elements of chemistry: in a new systematic order, containing all the modern discoveries. Illustrated by thirteen copperplates. By Mr. Lavoisier, Member of the Academies and Societies of Paris, London, Orleans, Bologna, Basil, Philadelphia, Haerlem, Manchester, &c. &c. Translated from the French by Robert Kerr, F.R. & A. SS. Edin. Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, [1799]

Subjects: Chemistry – Early works to 1800

Chemistry

Notes: 4th ed., with notes, tables, and considerable additions

Language: English
Ledermüller, Martin Frobenius

The Rockefeller University

Ledermüller, Martin Frobenius. Amusement microscopique tant pour l'esprit, que pour les yeux : contenant cinquante estampes dessinées d'après nature et enluminées, avec leurs explications, 1766

Full text

Subjects: Natural History - Early works to 1800

Microscopy

Language: French
Leeuwenhoek, Antoni van

The Rockefeller University

Leeuwenhoek, Antoni van. Antonii a Leeuwenhoek ... Epistolæ ad Societatem Regiam Anglicam, et alios illustres viros, 1719

Subjects: Natural history – To 1735

Physiology – To 1800

Microscopy – Early works to 1800

Notes: Binder's title of the spine: Leeuwenhoek Opera Omnia. pars 3

Language: Latin
Le Gallois, Julien Jean César

The Rockefeller University

Le Gallois, Julien Jean César. Experiments on the principle of life: and particularly on the principle of the motions of the heart, and on the seat of this principle: including the report made to the first class of the Institute, upon the experiments relative to the motions of the heart, 1813

Full text

Subjects: Life (Biology)

Heart, Vitalism

Notes: Originally published in Paris in 1812 under the title: Expériences sur le principe de la vie. Translated by N.C. and J.G. Nancrede

Language: English
Leonardo da Vinci

The Rockefeller University

Leonardo da Vinci. I manoscritti di Leonardo da Vinci della Reale biblioteca di Windsor. Dell'anatomia, fogli B, pubblicati da Teodoro Sabachnikoff. Trascritti ed annotati da Giovanni Piumati. Con traduzione in lingua francese, 1901

Full text

Subjects: Human anatomy – Early works to 1800

Manuscript, Italian - Facsimiles

Note: Text of "Dell'anatomia" with French translation beneath. Plates have guard sheets with descriptive letterpress and numbered outlines of the figures on the accompanying plate. Half title-page. Facsimile edition. Includes index.

Language: Italian
Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim

The Rockefeller University

Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim. Laokoon: oder über die Grenzen der Malerei und Poesie, 1766

Subjects: Poetry – Early works to 1800

Notes: 1st edition

Language: German
L'Hôpital de, Guillaume

The Rockefeller University

L'Hôpital de, Guillaume. Traité analytique des sections coniques et de leur usage pour la resolution des equations dans les problemes tant déterminez qu'indéterminez, 1707

Full text

Subjects: Mathematica - History

Language: French
Linne von, Carl

The Rockefeller University

Linne von, Carl. Fauna Svecica, 1746

Full text

Subjects: Zoology - Bibliography

Language: Latin

Format: Book

Summary: Fundamental works on flora and fauna of Sweden by the founder of the binomial system of nomenclature and the hierarchical system of classification. The Flora Svecica appeared in two simultaneous issues, both printed by Salvii at Stockholm, but one with a Stockholm imprint, and the other with a Leiden imprint.
Livy

The Rockefeller University

Livy. The Roman history: written in Latine by Titus Livius with the supplements of the learned John Freinshemius and John Dujatius. From the foundation of Rome to the middle of the reign of Augustus. Faithfully done in English, 1686

Full text

Subjects: Rome – History – Republic, 510-30 B.C.

Notes: Important and scarce early English translation of Livy’s History of Rome updated form Holland’s translation published in 1600.

Language: English
Locke, John

The Rockefeller University

Locke, John. An essay concerning humane understanding: in four books, 1694

Full text

Subjects: Knowledge, Theory of - Early works to 1800

Notes: Includes an index

Language: English
Lower, Richard

The Rockefeller University

Lower, Richard. Tractatus de corde, item De motu & colore sanguinis, & chyli in eum transitu. Cui accessit dissertatio de origine catarrhi, in qua ostenditur illum non provenire à cerebro, 1671

Subjects: Heart

Blood

Notes: Incomplete. Lacks 4 of 6 plates

Language: Latin