Mr. Hand, who wrote a post today about his favorite book and how it’s not really for reading but connects him to his forefathers, inspired me to take down my own favorite books today and consider why they are my favorites.
There are two of them and they weigh 15lbs each. One is Medicology and was published in 1903. The other is Health And Longevity and was published in 1914. They were both used to train doctors in their time, and contain wonderful illustrations of the body. In the illustrations you can flip back bones and organs to see what’s underneath them. They also still have certificates for a free medical exam attached in the back.
Unlike Mr. Hand’s book, mine never belonged to anyone in my family. I bought them at an estate sale about 20 years ago. Also I suppose his book would be useful if staring at computer screens suddenly started to make your eyes pop out of socket, but I wouldn’t suggest anyone take the medical advise in my books under any circumstance.
Like Mr. Hand’s they’re not really for reading, (although I have) but the study notes written in the margins are very interesting.
They’re my favorites all the same. Holding them I feel connected to something larger than myself, maybe because they trained the hands that healed, maybe because they where the beginning of modern medicine.
They weren’t based on the superstition and assumption of early medicine, but on observation, study, and science. Reading them not only gives one an idea of how for we’ve come, but what a firm foundation we’ve built on.
I can picture a student doctor holding one of them and it whispering, “I have so much to teach you.”
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October 19, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Mr. Hand
Ooooh! I love those old books. I’ve picked up a couple similar ones (though not as nice as what you’ve described) under similar circumstances.
And, I love those anatomical illustration books. I can see why those books are treasures even without the images that they summon. And the images are great too!
October 20, 2007 at 4:48 am
Wanda Rizzuto
I had a book like that once only it was a frog skeleton instead of a person.
October 20, 2007 at 7:04 am
davidrochester
I enjoyed this post, though I must confess that my enjoyment of it was unfairly influenced by my astonishment that you can lift a 151 lb book, thanks to my original misread.
October 20, 2007 at 11:23 am
Corina
I know what you mean about that feeling you get…the one that reminds you that you are connected to something larger than yourself. It’s an awesome feeling.
Although I’m not into science, I think the books you described would give me a very similar feeling. The sense of history and the idea that they were written from/for observation rather than from speculation or rumor or assumption, would definitely be a draw to me.
October 22, 2007 at 8:45 am
Mr. Hand
I think the scientific content of the books (mine and Shawn’s) is just coincidence. The feelings they evoke are something deeper.
October 22, 2007 at 8:45 am
Shawn W
You’re right, Mr. Hand those books would be worth having with just the illustrations, and they are so well done it almost looks like a photo. I have several very old ones, but they are my favorites.
Wanda, a frog skeleton would be cool too.
David, would you still be impressed if I can lift a 110 lb dog into the tub?
Corina, that’s the best part about them. They were written by a group of thirty practicing doctors and kept to tried a true science. It really gives you an idea of how far we’ve come.
October 22, 2007 at 8:48 am
Shawn W
They do evoke a deeper feeling. Hands that healed held them and learned to heal from them. There is no way to know how many lives were saved by the doctors who trained from them.
It’s even deeper than that, but I don’t know how to explain it.
October 22, 2007 at 8:59 am
Mr. Hand
Those old illustrations are soooo cool. I was recently reading a history book about books and the illustrations therein. There were some reproductions of the illustrations. They were cool.
There are a few recent ones that call that kind of stuff to mind. In the 1980s, there was a book published on mathematical games where lots of the diagrams are hand lettered. The co-author that did the lettering was in his 60s at the time. His handwriting is splendid.
Also, the works of Holling C. Holling pop into my mind.
I have a recent fun book with old style illustrations: “After Man: A Zoology of the Future” by Dougal Dixon.
October 22, 2007 at 9:52 am
Shawn W
It seems everything new is done with photos or computer graphics. It took so much talent to do illustrations of that caliber.
My grandmother use to make me do “exercises” to improve my handwriting. It didn’t work, but her’s was beautiful.
October 22, 2007 at 10:20 am
Mr. Hand
I think one still sees something in the quality because of the time involved. One simply wouldn’t make a picture that wasn’t worth the time those old pictures took whereas now with the convenient computer tools that allow one to turn out many pictures, one doesn’t have to spend so much time (and doesn’t have so much time) thinking about the content.
By the way, I’m quite enjoying the rapidfireness of this. That’s the one thing I missed about the other place.
And, now, it is time for me to retire for the evening.
October 22, 2007 at 11:04 am
Shawn W
I enjoyed it too, Mr. Hand. Good night.
October 24, 2007 at 9:09 am
Mr. Hand
It is a new evening. I won’t be up as late tonight. But, I figured I’d stop by and say hello. I had a splendid supper. I’m still feeling a bit stuffed.
October 24, 2007 at 11:39 am
Shawn W
Hello, back at you, and thanks for stopping by. Glad you had a good supper. I cooked 15 bean soup with brown rice for supper, and hubby over did it a bit too. Now he’s out for the night.
October 26, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Ivy
Lovely posting. Missed you so came over to say hello.
One of my favorite books is a very small leather bound book written in Spanish that belonged to my father.
I wonder what heirlooms the future will have to allow them to touch what their ancestors touched. Will they perceive this inclination as something primitive?
October 27, 2007 at 6:56 am
Shawn W
Hi Ivy! Glad you dropped by, I’ve missed you too.
That would be a very cool book to have. My dad’s old bible means a lot to me, though I’d be afraid to try and use it.
Our society is becoming so disposable, one wonders if they will wind up with a bunch of disks and picture CD’s. I hope we leave them warmer things than that.