Early 19th Century Hand Written French Manuscript on Hygiene and Longevity

Early 19th century hand written French manuscript on hygiene and longevity

Anonymous
France; ca. 1810
Half brown sheep skin binding over brown paper boards; brown ink on woven paper

Approximate size: 8.5 x 7 x 1.75 in.

163+ pages.

The present manuscript is hand-written throughout in brown ink on woven paper. The pages feature pencil ruling on the pages, providing a guide for its author. The binding is made of half brown sheepskin, brown paper over boards, a gilt-filleted spine and red title-label.

The manuscript is a treaty chiefly composed by large extracts from a compilation by Louis Odier titled “Principes d’hygiène: extraits du Code de santé et de longue vie, de Sir John Sinclair, Bart.” (Geneva, 1810) which was a fascinating work focused on the impact of hygiene on longevity, quoting numerous examples from ancient texts and travel accounts. The manuscript author also mentions (p. 87) examples of old physicians known to him and located in Flanders: “Le medecin Daman de Gand avait près de 90 ans à sa mort, le méd.n Soupart près de 100 […]; a marginal note adds a few examples: “mon pere 86. Wauters 80 […]”). Among the “causes de destruction” of health: “mauvaise education”, “moeurs corrompues”, “nourriture trop succulente et souvent dereglée”, “usage […] des liqueurs fermentées”, “habitude de se tenir dans des maisons trop chaudes”, “manque d’exercice régulier”, “exhalaisons pernicieuses des grandes villes”, “climats malsains”, etc. The treatise is written in French and is enriched with a lithograph diagram on laid paper (flyleaf).

This work would suit well for a collector of manuscripts, a doctor’s library or simply as a unique decorative object as an open book on a table or vignette.

Condition: Overall reasonable condition. The binding has split joints, wear along the spine and the corners are heavily bumped. The interior, however, is very fresh with only light occasional stains.