1851 Lectures on Materia Medica & Therapeutics John B. Beck MD – Plant Medicine, Pharmacology – 1st Ed.

Description

First edition of Lectures on Materia Medica and Therapeutics by John B. Beck, published in New York in 1851 by Samuel S. & William Wood.

This substantial medical text consists of 578 pages with a full index and presents an extensive mid-19th-century treatment of materia medica, including plant-based medicines, pharmacological preparations, chemical analysis of drugs, dosages, therapeutic applications, and historical commentary. The work reflects a transitional period in American medicine when botanical remedies, chemical isolation (e.g., morphine, narcotine), and early scientific pharmacology were actively synthesized.

Beck served as Professor of Materia Medica and Medical Jurisprudence at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the University of the State of New York. This volume was prepared for publication by C. R. Gilman, M.D., following Beck’s death.

Examples within the text include:

• Detailed discussions of opium, morphine, narcotine, and other alkaloids

• Botanical sources, preparation methods, and therapeutic use

• Chemical properties and historical discoveries of medicinal substances

The book is bound in original leather, measures approximately 9 x 6 inches, and retains its original spine label reading Beck’s Materia Medica. A former owner, Dr. Clarke, has signed and made pencil notes on the front and rear endpapers, adding evidence of professional medical ownership.

An important primary source for historians of medicine, pharmacology, herbalism, and 19th-century clinical practice.

Condition

Fair to Good, consistent with an actively used 19th-century medical reference.

• Original leather binding with rubbing, scuffing, and surface wear

• Tear to upper right of spine covering (~1 inch)

• Binding slightly loose but intact

• Significant foxing and toning throughout, typical for the period

• Front and rear free endpapers with pencil writing, doodling, and former owner’s signature (Dr. Clarke)

• Text block complete; 578 pages present with full index

• No missing leaves noted