JOHNSON (Alexander) — Relief from Accidental Death: or, summary instructions for the general institution, proposed in the year 1773, by Alexander Johnson, M. D. to introduce and establish, In his Majesty's British Dominions, A Successful Practice for Recovering Persons who meet with Accidents producing suddenly AN Appearance Of Death, And preventing their being buried alive. Re-Published at the expence of the author in 1785.

London: Printed by T. Hodgson, [1785]. 12mo, 24pp., woodcut illustration in the text, recent calf-backed marbled boards, red morocco label lettered in gilt on upper board. Devoted to the immediate treatment of apparent death resulting from drowning, suffocation, hanging, lightning, and other accidental causes. Written in support of the contemporary humanitarian movement for resuscitation, Johnson describes the methods then regarded as most effective for restoring life, stressing the necessity of immediate assistance and grounding his recommendations in current medical knowledge and documented cases. Reflecting the public health concerns of the late eighteenth century, the work argues for the broader dissemination of lifesaving practices among both medical practitioners and the general public. Provenance: From the library of the Birmingham Medical Institute.