The Anatomy of the Human Body

Beautifully hand-colored plates are the treasure in this later edition of William Cheselden’s celebrated work on anatomy. This text was first published in 1713, just a year after he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. His book was a smashing success, especially among students, though some attribute that success to the fact that it written in English when most medical books at this time were still in Latin. In 1728, Cheselden performed the first known surgery that reversed blindness caused by cataracts. This would be, perhaps, his most famous contribution to medicine had he not been Sir Isaac Newton’s attending physician during Newton’s last illness. In this book, the still-bright colors distinguishing muscles and tendons and the clear manuscript ownership marks reveal a deep historic engagement with the text, bringing the illustrations and historic medical practices to life.