Senac, J.B. — Traite de la structure du coeur, de son action, et de ses maladies.

1749 (1st ed.) 2 vols (complete). xliv; [4]; 504; [4]; 694; [2] p., 17 folding engraved pls, 4to, late 19th century cloth. Library stamps on title-pages (Birmingham General Hospital Library), several in lower right corner of text, and on recto and verso plates (not affecting text or figures). Some very slight foxing but the great majority of text and plates clean. Lower corner (1.5 x 5 cm) of title-page of volume two missing. Rare and very important first edition of the first comprehensive treatise on the structure and diseases of the heart. Sénac describes the direction in placement of the fibers of the heart, and points out the correlation between incidence of cardiac disease with increase in age. He provides a detailed discussion on transfusions and circulation. He was also the first physician to use quinine for palpitation. Jean-Baptiste Sénac (1693-1770), a Jesuit priest, studied medicine at Rheims and was later appointed physician to Louis XV.