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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Mead, Richard

The Rockefeller University

Mead, Richard. The medical works of Richard Mead, 1762

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Subjects: Medicine – Collected Works – 18^th century

Notes: Includes indices and errata

Language: English
Mead, Richard

The Rockefeller University

Mead, Richard. Opera medica. I. De imperio solis ac lunae in corpora humana & morbis inde oriundis. II. De variolis & Morbillis liber. III. Rhazis de variolis & morbillis commentarius ex Arabico Latine redditus. IV. Oratio anniversaria Harveiana. V. De nummis quibusdam a smyrnaeis in medicorum honorem percussis, 1746

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Subjects: Medicine – Early works to 1800

Notes: 3 volumes in one

Language: Latin
Mead, Richard

The Rockefeller University

Mead, Richard.

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Subjects: Medicine - History

Language: Latin
Mead, Richard

The Rockefeller University

Mead, Richard. A mechanical account of poisons in several essays, 1702

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Subjects: Poisons – Early works to 1800

Opium – Early works to 1800

Language: English
Métherie, Jean-Claude de

The Rockefeller University

Métherie, Jean-Claude de. Vues physiologiques sur l'organisation animale et végétale, 1780

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Subjects: Physiology – Early works to 1800

Notes: First edition

Language: French
Métherie, Jean-Claude de

The Rockefeller University

Métherie, Jean-Claude de. Vues physiologiques sur l'organisation animale et végétale, 1780

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Subjects: Physiology – Early works to 1800

Notes: First edition

Language: French
More, Thomas

The Rockefeller University

More, Thomas. Utopia, 1851

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Subjects: Utopia

Notes: Translated by Gilbert Burnet

Language: English
Morgagni, Giovanni Battista

The Rockefeller University

Morgagni, Giovanni Battista. De Sedibus, et Causis Morborum per anatomen Indagatis libri quinque. Dissectiones, et Animadversiones, nunc primum editas, complectuntur propemodum innumeras, medicis, chirurgis, anatomicis profuturas, 1761

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Subjects: Medicine - Early works to 1800

Anatomy, Pathology

Notes: First edition

Language: Latin

Summary: De Sedibus is one of the most important books in the history of medicine. Morgagni was a professor of anatomy at Padua for over 56 years and is regarded as "the true founder of pathological anatomy" (Morton). A monumental work that established the organ concept of disease and made pathological anatomy a major medical discipline. In exhaustive detail, Morgagni reports on nearly 700 cases and autopsies. Several conditions are described for the first time including classic descriptions of mitral stenosis, heart block (Adams-Stokes Syndrome), angina pectoris, syphilitic aneurysm, and tuberculosis of the kidney. "Morgagni's contribution to the understanding of disease may well rank with the contributions of Vesalius in anatomy and Harvey in physiology" (Eimas)
Mosheim, Johann Lorenz

The Rockefeller University

Mosheim, Johann Lorenz. Neue Nachrichten von dem berühmten spanischen Arzte Michael Serveto, der zu Geneve ist verbrannt worden, 1750

Subjects: Servetus, Michael

Notes: Originally published: Helmstedt: C.F. Weygand, 1746

Language: German
Muller, Johannes

The Rockefeller University

Muller, Johannes. Elements of Physiology, 1843

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Subjects: Physiology

Notes: The subjects of the books are: (1) General anatomy, (2) The circulating fluids, (3) Chemical changes in the organic fluids and organized textures, (4) Physiology of the nerves, (5) Of motion (voice and speech), (6) The senses, (7) The mind, (8) Of generation, and (9) Of development.

Language: English

Summary: The first textbook of physiology (first published in German in four parts from 1833 to 1840) and a key book in the emergence of the still-dominant monist-materialist model in medicine and psychology. Muller's work began a new era in the study of physiology: he pioneered the use of experimental methods in medicine and introduced the element of psychology into physiological investigatin. He has made the first attempts to explain physiological problems in terms of existing comparative physical and chemical knowledge. [Norman Catalog]
Naude, Gabriel

The Rockefeller University

Naude, Gabriel.

Subjects: Magic – Early works to 1800

Notes: Originally published in 1625, with title: Apologie pour tous les grands personnages qui ont esté faussement soupçonnez de magie

Language: French
Newton, Isaac

The Rockefeller University

Newton, Isaac. The mathematical principles of natural philosophy, [1729]

Subjects: Mechanics – Early works to 1800

Celestial mechanics – Early works to 1800

Notes: In two volumes. Vol. 2 in two parts, each with separate pagination and register, the second part being John Machin's 'The laws of the moon's motion according to gravity' with divisional title page

Language: English
Newton, Isaac

The Rockefeller University

Newton, Isaac. Observations upon the prophecies of Daniel: and the Apocalypse of St. John. In two parts, 1733

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Subjects: Bible – Revelation – Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Language: English
Newton, Isaac

The Rockefeller University

Newton, Isaac. Opticks: or a treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections & Colours of Light, 1730

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Subjects: Optics – Early works to 1800

Notes: The fourth edition, corrected

Language: English
Newton, Isaac

The Rockefeller University

Newton, Isaac. Optice: sive de reflexionibus, refractionibus, inflexionibus & coloribus lucis libri tres. Authore Isaaco Newton, Equite Aurato. Latine reddidit Samuel Clarke, A.M. Reverendo admodum Patri ac Dno Joanni Moore Episcopo Norvicensi a Sacris Domesticis. Accedunt tractatus duo ejusdem Authoris de Speciebus & Magnitudine Figurarum Curvilinearum, Latine scripti, 1719

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Subjects: Optics – Early works to 1800

Language: Latin
Olearuis, Adam

The Rockefeller University

Olearuis, Adam. Relation du voyage d'Adam Olearius en Moscovie, Tartarie et Perse : augmentee en cette nouvelle edition de plus d'vn tiers, & particulierement d'vne seconde partie contenant le voyage de Iean Albert de Mandelslo aux Indes Orientales, 1666

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Subjects: Voyages and travels – Early works to 1800

Russia – Description and travel – Early works to 1800

Iran – Description and travel – Early works to 1800

Notes: Vol. 2 has title: Suitte de la Relation du voyage en Moscovie, Tartarie, et Perse

Language: French
Osler, William

The Rockefeller University

Osler, William. The Principles and practice of medicine: designed for the use of practitioners and students of medicine; thoroughly rev. by Thomas McCrae, 1892

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Subjects: Medicine - Practice

Notes: First edition

Language: English
Pallas, Peter Simon

The Rockefeller University

Pallas, Peter Simon. Travels through the southern provinces of the Russian Empire, in the years 1793 and 1794 / translated from the German of P.S. Pallas, 1802-1803

Full text, vol.2

Subjects: Ukrain- Journey

Crimea - Description and travel

Notes: First edition. Includes index. Translated by Francis W. Blagdon. "In two volumes. With many coloured vignettes, plates and maps."

Language: English
Paré, Ambroise

The Rockefeller University

Paré, Ambroise. The works of that famous chirurgeon Ambrose Parey, 1678

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Subjects: Anatomy – Early works to 1800

Medicine – Early works to 1800

Surgery – Early works to 1800

Notes: Translated out of Latin and compared with the French, by Th. Johnson, together with three tractates concerning the veins, arteries, and nerves; exemplified with large anatomical figures, translated out of Adrianus Spigelius

Language: English
Parson, James

The Rockefeller University

Parson, James. The Croonian lectures on muscular motion, 1745

Subjects: Muscles – Early works to 1800

Notes: First edition. Royal Society of London. Philosophical transactions. Supplements to the years 1744-1747

Language: English