RARE FIRST EDITION OF THIS IMPORTANT WORK ON THE EARLY USE OF ANESTHESIA IN OBSTETRICS, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, DR. WALTER CHANNING, AND WITH A TEXT CORRECTION IN HIS HAND

CHANNING, Walter. “Two Cases of Inhalation of Ether in Instrumental Labor.” FROM: The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Volume 36, pp.1-11. [Boston: Boston Medical & Surgical Journal, 1847]. Octavo, stitched as issued, original cream paper wrappers. $3200.

First separate edition of this important work on the use of ether in obstetrics, inscribed by the author on the front wrapper: “Dr. Johnson, with Dr. Channing’s regards,” and with a single correction on page 11 where Channing has drawn a line through a section of text and written “omit.”

This is Dr. Walter Channing’s groundbreaking early paper on the use of anesthesia in obstetrics. Channing became the first professor of obstetrics at Harvard (1815) and was later dean of the medical school there. He was the founder of the Boston Lying-in Hospital and a co-editor of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. Sir James Joung Simpson was the first physician to use ether anesthesia in obstetrical cases; Channing was the first to do likewise in America. Though Channing followed this article a year later with a major monograph, this work remains a landmark in obstetrics and anesthesiology. Norman 440. See Osler 1394.

Faint vertical crease from folding, expert paper repair to bottom corners of first leaf of text and wrappers, faint soiling to wrappers. An extremely good copy. Rare.