Observations on Fungus Haematodes, or soft cancer

Edinburgh: George Ramsay and Co, 1809. FIRST EDITION. With 6 full-page etched plates, 4 smaller etchings in the text. Modern retrospective half-backed marbled boards; minor foxing and dampstaining throughout, A sound, complete copy with the bookplates of the St. Thomas Hospital Library and R.G. Whitfield. First edition of this medical treatise on soft tissue sarcomas. The pathology of so-called “fungus haematodes” was introduced in 1803 for vascular, fungating tumors. Using several case studies, the text describes and illustrates cancerous tumors of the eyeballs, extremities, testicles, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, uterus, ovaries, and breasts. The detailed plates show dissections of tumors and amputated limbs, including the first illustration of an amputated arm with “soft cancer”.

Wellcome V: 384; Hajdu, “Soft Tissue Sarcomas” in Wiley InterScience online.