Leitfaden für die Behandlung der auf dem Schiffe vorkommenden Krankheiten ....

Bremen: F C Dubbers, 1847. First Edition.. Contemporary marbled boards.. Very good.. 8vo, viii, [1] - 126 pp.

A succinct and rare manual for ship-board medical treatment written by a 'practical' physician that is accompanied by a supplement or appendix listing the medicines contained in the medical kit and finally a brief section on herbs and their use in cooking. Indicating the prevalence of ailments aboard ship the text is divided into sections dealing with fever, inflammation, nervous ailments, gastric ailments, infectious disease (esp. typhus). Wounds etc. are briefly covered. Emphasis is on true illness. It is remarkable that this book was written by an apprenticed 'physician' who considers each ailment from practical experience rather than a clincal perspective. Such manuals do appear in English; they are usually brief. This German language manual is unusual since there was little voyaging originating in Germany at this time - coastal trips being the norm and therefore not out of range of quick medical assistance if needed. Therefore its detailed text outlining symptoms and treatment and the list of medicines are beyond what is encountered in the English language pamphlets of the period. Unlocated.