De anima brutorum - photo 1

De anima brutorum

Starting price
$ 100
Auction dateClassic
27.01.2023 10:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 887866
Lot 90 | De anima brutorum
WILLIS, Thomas (1621-1675). De anima brutorum quae hominis vitalis ac sensitiva est, exercitationes duae. London: William Wells and Robert Scott, 1672.

A fine copy of the first edition, London issue, of a foundational work of neurology—with often absent longitudinal title and marginal commentary from physician Jean Bailly. In this treatise, Willis, who coined the term neurology, "recapitulated the neurological concepts he had introduced in Cerebri anatome, particularly localization, and extended them to invertebrates with some of the first detailed dissections made of the oyster, earthworm, and lobster. He attributed a wide range of diseases to neurological disturbances, among them headache, lethargy, melancholy, apoplexy, frenzy, and paralysis, but recognized the difference between the symptoms of organic brain disease and those of mental illness" (Norman). Willis was a part of Boyle's Oxford circle of scientists and a follower of William Harvey. There is also an Oxford issue of this publication, with the imprint of the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford for Richard Davis. A five-page bookseller's catalogue is usually (but not always) present in the Oxford issue, and almost always absent, as here, from the London issue. The octavo edition of the same year is the second edition. Wing W2827; Garrison and Morton (online) 1544, 4513, 4730, 4793, 4919, 4966; Krivatsy 13015; Norman 2245.

Quarto (202 x 150mm). Longitudinal title, part titles, errata leaf. 8 engraved plates, five of which folding (occasional toning, a few small spots and stains). Contemporary speckled calf, spine paneled in gilt, sprinkled edges. Provenance: Jean Bailly M.D. (inscription dated 1675 and extensive marginal commentary in his hand, referring to his clinical experience, in the chapter dealing with encephalitis) – "Jean-Baptiste] Bouthier de Rochefort" (signature on title and imprimatur leaf) – Jean Blondelet (his sale, Sotheby's Paris, 8 February 2017, lot 61).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.01.2023 – 27.01.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.