FONTANA, FELICE. 1730-1805. Traité sur le venin de la vipère, sur les poisons amé...

FONTANA, FELICE. 1730-1805. Traité sur le venin de la vipère, sur les poisons américains, sur le laurier-cerise et sur quelques autres poisons végétaux. Florence: 1781. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to (273 x 204 mm). 10 folding engraved plates. Contemporary marbled boards, morocco lettering pieces on spine. Heavily rubbed, corners chipped, library stamps including on verso of most plates, scattered foxing and spotting. Provenance: Faculty of Science, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Paris (stamps). FIRST FRENCH EDITION of Fontana's Ricerche fisiche sopra il veleno della vipera (1767), translated by Jean d'Arcet and Jacques Gibelin. 'The starting point of modern investigations on serpent venoms. This work also includes Fontana's description of the ciliary canal in the eye of an ox ... The greatly expanded French translation ... includes Fontana's work on the anatomy of the nerves and nerve regeneration.' (GM). Fontana is considered the father of modern toxicology. He studied mathematics under Paolo Frisi in Tuscany, and then became chair of Logic and later professor of Physics at the University of Pisa. In 1765 he became court physician in Florence. He assembled a large collection of mineral, plant and animal specimens, and wrote important works on anatomy and zoology in addition to this work. Brunet II, 1329; Garrison-Morton-Norman 2103; Sabin 24988. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ¤ ¤ Without reserve For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing