Third, revised and enlarged edition of Sprengel's pragmatic history of medicine - "the standard work on the subject for nearly a century" (DSB) - and the final edition to appear during the author's life. In these five volumes, the author narrates the history of medicine from the earliest recorded history up until his own time. Inspired by the contemporary philosophies of history, "Sprengel's work was no mere chronological collection of medical anecdotes" (Broman). He aimed to explain the history of medicine as part of the larger history of culture; instead of a succession of important physicians, he described several schools of thought. These he tried to explain as part of the time and culture in which it was formed. Ultimately, Sprengel's goal was to show the errors and pitfalls of the past in order that these might provide valuable lessons for the future.
Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel (1766-1833) was a Prussian physician and botanist. Primarily known for his monumental history of medicine, he also published studies on the fertilization of flowers and strongly promoted the microscopic examination of plants.
Binding worn at the extremities; foxed and browned thoughout. Vol. 2 with a water stain at the head of the first 50 pp., which has also damaged the paste-paper of the front cover. Generally in good condition. Broman, The transformation of German academic medicine, p. 139; DSB XII, pp. 591-592; Wellcome IV, p. 165.