pdf - Roger Gaskell Rare Books

203 x 127mm. Light foxing to plates.
Binding: Contemporary green glazed boards, manuscript paper spine
label. Spine and corners worn.
First edition. Preface dated Autumn 1825. Garrison–Morton 1257 and 1495;
Albert, Norton and Huertes 1623; Becker 267; Wellcome IV, p. 194.
Müller’s Wrst major work which brought him to the attention of the scientiWc
world and introduced the law of speciWc nerve energies. The preface is dated
Autumn 1825 and the work opens with Müller’s inaugural lecture at the
university of Bonn, dated 19 October 1824.
‘Müller introduced a new era of biological research in Germany and
pioneered the use of experimental methods in medicine. He overcame
the inclination to natural philosophical speculation widespread in German
universities during his youth, and inculcated respect for careful observation
and physiological experimentation... In 1826 Müller published an extensive
work that attracted the attention of the scientiWc world: Zur vergleichenden
Physiology.... The book, in nine parts, reported on Müller’s various studies
and interests. It opened with his inaugural lecture... The succeeding sections
oVered a wealth of new Wndings on human and animal vision, brilliant
investigations into the compound eyes of insects and crabs, and truly
perceptive analyses of human sight. Moreover, the book recorded the young
physiologist’s most important achievement, the discovery that each sensory
system responds to various stimuli only in a Wxed, characteristic way – or, as
Müller stated, with the energy speciWc to itself... This “law of speciWc nerve
energies” led to the insight that man does not perceive the processes of the
external world but only alterations they produce in his sensory systems: “In
intercourse with the external world we continually sense ourselves.” This
statement had important implications for epistemology.’ (Johannes Steudel,
DSB 9: 567b, 569b.)
139
MÜLLER, Johannes Peter (1801–1858)
Ueber die phantastischen Gesichtserscheinungen. Eine physiologische
untersuchung mit einer physiologischen urfunde des
Aristoteles über den Traum, den Philosophen und Aertzen gewidmet.
Coblenz: bei Jacob Hölscher (Gedruckt bei C. F. Thormann in Bonn),
1826.
8vo, pp. x 117 [1].
225 x 145mm, untrimmed. Moderate foxing.
Binding: Recent half calf, original plain upper wrapper bound in.
Provenance: Edgar Goldschmid (1881–1957), pathologist and medical
historian with his book label inside original front wrapper.
First edition. Garrison–Morton 1456; Norman 1567; Horblit, One
Hundred Books Famous in Science 76.
‘Müller’s second book... is still of interest. In it he showed that the sensory
system of the eye not only reacts to external optical stimuli but also can be