Abbildungen des menschlichen Hoerorganes

Frankfurt: Varrentrapp und Wenner, 1806. FIRST EDITION. With 5 engraved plates (4 duplicates in outline) by G. Rücker and J. C. Eckardt after drawings by C. Köck. Contemporary cloth-backed marbled boards. A fine uncut copy. First edition of a magnificent anatomical study of the human ear by Soemmerring (1755-1830), one of the most famous anatomists of the early nineteenth century. According to Choulant-Frank, "this work was produced at the request of Professor Lichtenberg of Göttingen, to furnish him greatly enlarged reproductions `for his lectures on physics. Soemmerring, with the aid of Köck, at once undertook the task. Specimens of such enlargements were cast for Göttingen, Bamberg, and Utrecht, but before Soemmerring had a chance to make a cast for himself, the forms, through some accident, were spoiled. After that Soemmerring and Köck, now perfectly familiar with the subject, worked out pictorial representations instead of plastic models . . . they represent the parts in natural size, some very much enlarged, and rank among the most excellent works that have been produced." This work is extremely scarce in the original German. G&M, 1554.