Chirurgie, in welcher alles, was zur Wundarzney (Surgery, in which everything that belongs to...)

Surgery by Lorenz Heister, 1763

Heister, Lorenz (1683-1758). Chirurgie, in welcher alles, was zur Wundarzney gehöret, nach der neuesten und besten Art, gründlich abgehandelt, und in acht und dreyßig Kupfertafeln die neuerfundene und dienlichste Instrumente, nebst den bequemsten Handgriffen der chirurgischen Operationen und Bandagen deutlich vorgestellet werden ("Surgery, in which everything that belongs to the surgical procedure is thoroughly dealt with in the latest and best way, and the newly invented and most useful instruments, along with the most comfortable handles for surgical operations and bandages, are clearly presented in thirty eight copper plates"). Nuremberg : Gabriel Nicolaus Raspe, 1763.

Lorenz Heister (1683-1758) was a professor of anatomy, botany and surgery in Universities of Altdorf and Helmstadt and is considered the founder of scientific surgery in German-speaking countries. "Chirurgie, in welcher alles, was zur Wundarzney gehöret..." is the main work of Prof. Heister and enjoyed great popularity in the 18th century and went through numerous editions.

Description of the object

Pages: Content 16 + Text 1078 + Tables description 24 + Copper plates 38. Pages 321-322 missing. The copper plates in this edition, presumably made by Heister himself, show surgical instruments and operations. The major work by Lorenz Heister, first published in Altdorf in 1718. "In his famous surgical major work he summarized everything that had been achieved in this area up to that point and made it the property of science" (Hirsch). "The book owes its great success in part to the fact that it was the first textbook on surgery written in German and that Heister, who carefully used the best domestic and foreign sources and added his own experiences, gave surgery its (in Germany at least) understood how to provide the missing basis of anatomy". "Heister is the founder of scientific surgery in Germany. His book contains many interesting illustrations and includes an account of tourniquets used in his time; Heister introduced a spinal brace. This was the most popular surgical text of the 18th century; it underwent numerous editions and translations." (Garrison & Morton)

Provenance

Property from a South-German private collection, acquired in the mid-20th century.

Acquired from the above in 2019 at Yves Siebers Auktionen GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany on 13.11.2019

References

• Garrison & Morton 5576 (dat. 1718);
• Hirsch-H. III, 141;
• Waller 4265
• Lesky 292 (dat. 1718)
• Haeser II, 680
• Heirs of Hippocrates, 797
• Wellcome III, 237

Other Editions and Publications 

• Chirurgie, in welcher alles was zur Wund Artzney gehöret, nach der neuesten und besten Art, gründlich abgehandelt und In vielen Kupffer Tafeln die neuerfundene und dienlichste Instrumenten nebst den bequemsten Handgriffen der Chirurgischen Operationen und Bandagen deutlich vorgestellet werden. Nürnberg, J. Hoffmann seel. Erben, 1719, Format 4°, Pages: (16), 753, (23), Frontispice, 22 folded double-sheet copperplates. Title translation: "Surgery, in which everything pertaining to wound care is thoroughly treated according to the latest and best methods, and in many copper plates the newly invented and most useful instruments are clearly presented together with the most convenient methods of surgical operations and bandages."
  NOTE: The standard reference for the publishing year is often given as "1718" quoted after Garrison but in fact the book was published in 1719.
• Later German editions followed: 1724; 1731; 1745; 1747. New and improved German edition: 
  Dr. Lorenz Heisters, Chirurgie in welcher alles, was zur Wundarzney gehöret, nach der neuesten und besten Art, gründlich abgehandelt, und in acht und dreyßig Kupfertafeln die neuerfundene und dienstlichste Instrumente, nebst den bequemsten Handgriffen der chirurgischen Operationen und Bandagen deutlich vorgestellet werden. Nürnberg: bey Gabriel Nicolaus Raspe, 1763. Later edition 1770, 1779.
• Latin editions: Institutiones chirurgicae, in quibus quidquid ad rem chirurgicam pertinet, optima et novissima ratione pertractatur. . . . Opus quadraginta fere annorum, nunc demum, post aliquot editiones germanica lingua evulgatas, in exterorum gratiam latine altera vice longe auctius atque emendatius publicatum. Janssonio-Waesbergios, Amstelaedami (Amsterdam), 1739; ibid 1750 / Franciscum Pitteri, Venetiis (Venezia), 1740; ibid 1750 / Cervone, Neapoli (Neapel) 1749 / Cathelli Longobardo, Neapoli (Neapel) 1759 
• English edition: A general system of surgery in three parts. 2 volumes in 1. London, W. Innys, 1743. 1st English ed. Vol. I: xvi, 476 pp.; Vol. II: 338 [10] pp., 38 fold. plates. 24.8 cm. Later editions: London: J. Whiston, 1768. 
• Italian editions: Instituzioni chirurgiche... 2 volumes. Venice: Presso Francesco Pitteri, 1765. Later Italian editions: ibid 1782, 1793.
• Spanish editions: Instituciones chirurgicas ó cirugía completa universal, Donde se tratan, con la mayor claridad, todas las cosas pertenecientes a esta Ciencia, tanto de las Doctrinas antiguas, como de las modernas. Ilustrada con gran numero de Laminas finas, y muy puntuales, que demuestran al natural todos los mas precisos Instrumentos, y Operaciones Chirurgicas. 1785. Madrid: oficina de D. Pedro Marin, en 4º menor, pasta española, 4 tomos, con 48 grabados fuera de texto. T 1 (1785): 542 pgs. T 2 (1775): 412 pgs. T 3 (1778): 510 pgs. T 4 (1781): 300 pgs. 
• French editions: Institutions de Chirurgie. Avignon: J. J. Niel, Imprimeur-Libraire, 1770; Paris: Fr. Didot le Jeune, 1771
• Japanese edition: Geka shūkō in vol. 1 and vol.2 (Publisher [Edo] Habu Genseki, 1814) was originated from the Dutch edition of "Institutiones Chirurgicae". It was translated into Japanese by Ōtsuki, Genkan (1785-1837) and was focused mainly on fractures, amputations and desmurgy (bandaging). 
   
  

A page from "Geka shūkō" (1814), Japanese translation of the Lorenz Heister's "Institutiones Chirurgicae".
Credit: archive.org. Contributor: McGill University Library