La Science de la santé, soit pour le moral, soit pour le physique

Avignon: Laurent Aubanel, 1813. FIRST EDITION. Woodcut and typographic ornaments. Untrimmed in contemporary pastepaper wrappers backed with printing waste from the same publication. A fine copy in genuine, original condition. First edition, an anonymous encyclopedic handbook of physical and moral health for laymen. Divided into two separate dictionaries, the first part contains terms related to the conservation of health and ethics, and the second addresses medicinal plants, foods, and compounds, complete with recipes and directions for use. Unlike a typical alphabetic index, though, each entry includes practical advice, historical information, and literary concordances. In keeping with the cerebral theme of the text, it has entries for surgeon, sleep, exercise, saliva, and vapors as well as love, laughing, vengeance, and usury.
Guillaume de Broutet (1739-1817) was an often overlooked figure in the psychiatric reform movement in the late 18th century. He served as Administrator or the Hôspice des Insensés in Avignon and Rector of the Pénitents Noirs de la Miséricorde, a charity dedicated to prisoners and the mentally ill. In the Avertissement of this book, he indicates that it should not be sold for profit, and anyone who receives a free copy should make a charitable donation or give the book to a charitable person.
OCLC locates three copies outside Europe: DeWitt, Yale, and National Library of Medicine.