Beschreibung:

FAUCHARD, PIERRE. Le chirurgien dentiste, ou traité des dents. Paris: Jean Mariette 1728. 2 vols., 12mo, 163 x 93mm. (6 3/8 x 3 5/8in.), contemporary French speckled calf, spines gilt-tooled and gilt-lettered in compartments, small repairs to heads of spines and joints, corners worn, minute worming to spines, ink accession numbers on verso of each title, X3 in vol. II with old marginal repair, Hh1 in vol. II with marginal tear. Modern brown quarter morocco box. FIRST EDITION, engraved portrait frontispiece by J.B. Scotin after J. LeBel, 40 engraved plates. Norman 768; PMM 186. "Before Fauchard's time the profession of dentistry was truly a 'mystery', for its practitioners had steadfastly refrained from publishing details of their technique and equipment... Le Chirurgien Dentiste ...is in fact the first scientific work on its subject, and modern dentistry begins with its publication...Fauchard was the true pioneer of dental surgery"-- Printing and the Mind of Man. (2)