The Theory and Treatment of Fevers.
Arrow Rock: Privately Printed, 1844.
Revised & corrected by Ferdinando Stith. 216pp. Short 8vo, original calf (quite worn but holding; most of leather of spine lacking, dampstain in lower gutter; several pages dog-eared). Arrow Rock [Missouri]: Published by the author, 1844. A poor but usable copy.
First edition of the first medical book printed in English west of the Mississippi River. An early exponent of the value of quinine for the treatment of malaria, and finding the drug unavailable in the malaria-ridden western and southern states, Sappington began in 1832 the wholesale distribution of "Dr. John Sappington's Anti-Fever pills." Over 1,000,000 boxes of these were sold throughout the western and southern states. In the above work Sappington described his method of preparing his quinine-containing pills, and advocated quinine, properly used, as the only necessary treatment for malaria. "Although living in a frontier community far removed from the seats of medical learning, Sappington's views regarding the treatment of fevers were more in accord with modern medical practice than were those of his more favored contemporaries." (DAB).
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Poor
Edition: First
Language: English
Price: $65.00
Item #214714