Buchan, Domestic Medicine, 1778, 1st US Edition, John Trumbull
"Domestic Medicine, or, The Family Physician: being an attempt to render the medical art more generally useful, by shewing people what is in their own power both with respect to the prevention and cure of diseases. Chiefly calculated to recommend a proper attention to regimen and simple medicines." By William Buchan, M.D. of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh. The Third American Edition, With considerable Additions, by the Author. Norwich: printed by John Trumbull, for Robert Hodge, J.D. McDougall and William Green, in Boston. M.DCC.LXXVIII. [1778]. [Reference: Evans 15751; Austin 311].
Hard boards, leather with five raised bands on spine [leather aging, leather creases on spine and between spine and boards; rounded corners, shelf wear: see photos]; boards are attached; 4.1/4" x 7.1/2"; 436 pages; some soiling and wear, a few page corner folds, endpapers are creased at the hinges, very good condition.
The First U.S. Edition published only two years after the Revolution. Two previous editions were printed in Colonial Period:
The first American Edition of Buchan's Domestic Medicine was printed by John Dunlap for Aitken [several printings 1771-1772: Austin 307, 308, 309. Evans 12338].
The Second American edition was printed by Joseph Cruikshank for Aitken in 1774 [Austin 310; Evans 13181].
[Reference: Robert B. Austin. National Library of Medicine (US). "Early American Medical Imprints: A Guide to Works Printed in the United States"]
The Third American Edition of Buchan's "Family Medicine" is one of the very few exceptionally rare books printed in the middle of the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Printed by John Trumbull, the "Artist of the American Revolution." Trumbull resigned his service in George Washington's Continental Army in 1777. Returning home in Lebanon, Connecticut, Trumbull attempted book business in the neighboring Norwich. At that time, Norwich printing press issued local newspaper and short pamphlets. It is understandable that Trumbull, former army officer had chosen to produce Buchan's book in the middle of the war. According to several sources, Buchan's Domestic Medicine was the major medical guide for American revolutionary army and civil population. However, attempting to print books under the war conditions was economically not a good idea. By 1780, Trumbull's funds were completely depleted, and with Benjamin Franklin's recommendation, John Trumbull went to study in London, England.
Three years between quitting army service (1777) and traveling to England (1780) are normally omitted in Trumbull's biographies. During this short period John Trumbull distinguished himself by printing one of the first book printed in the independent United States.
Three Boston book dealers listed on the title page participated in the enterprise to publish this book:
J.D. McDougall, a Boston book and stationary dealer [active 1770s-1790s). William Green who belonged to the old American printers dynasty; and Robert Hodge, book dealer and publisher. According to documents, Robert Hodge was enlisted in the detachment of Washington's Continental Army to guard stores in Boston in 1777. After serving a few months, he was discharged on May 12, 1778. In 1781-1784 Hodge's publishing company's office was located at Newbury-street, Boston.
John Trumbull (1756-1843) was an American artist of the early independence period, notable for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called "The Painter of the Revolution".
Trumbull was the son of the Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull (a first cousin to the poet John Trumbull). A boyhood injury to his left eye made him virtually monocular. After graduating from Harvard College in 1773, he worked as a teacher. During the American Revolution he served as an aide to General George Washington and achieved the rank of colonel. In 1780 Trumbull went to London via France, but, in reprisal for the hanging of the British agent Major John Andre by the Americans, he was imprisoned there. Once released, he returned home but subsequently went back to London by 1784 to study with the painter Benjamin West.
At the suggestion of West and with the encouragement of Thomas Jefferson, Trumbull about 1784 began the celebrated series of historical paintings and engravings that he was to work on sporadically for the remainder of his life. From 1789 he was in the United States, but he returned to London in 1794 as secretary to John Jay. He remained there for 10 years as a commissioner for the implementation of the Jay Treaty. During this period, in 1800, he married Sarah Hope Harvey, an English amateur painter. Moving back and forth between England and the United States, in 1808 he attempted portrait painting in London but met with little success. From 1815 to 1837 he maintained a rather unsuccessful studio in New York City.
[Note: there can be no confusion which of two John Trumbulls published this book. John Trumbull the poet, the cousin of J.T. the painter lived at Hartford area. 1777-to the early 1780s, John Trumbull the poet lived in Watertown, over 70 miles from Norwich, too far to conduct business there.]
William Buchan (1729-1805) was a Scottish physician and author. He is best known for his work "Domestic Medicine: or, a Treatise on the Prevention and Cure of Diseases by Regimen and Simple Medicines" (1769), which provided laypeople with detailed descriptions of the causes and prevention of diseases. Buchan's goal was one of "laying medicine more open to mankind. This work was one of the most popular medical texts in Europe and even in the European colonies in the Americas, and was translated into almost every major European language.
The primary goal of the early American book trade was to replace British imports with American edition of the same texts. This turned out to be a difficult goal to achieve, due to the substantial imports from England. During the Revolutionary War hardly any large books were printed, instead American printing press produced leaflets, pamphlets and newspapers. After the war, "British merchants continued to dump books in America for the rest of the 1780s as the American economy slumped." [Green]. The book production in the United States rapidly increased in the 1790s, when the risk of competition from British imports began to fade due to the war in Europe. [Reference: James N. Green. "The Rise of Book Publishing in America, 1782 to 1830" Penn Univ.]
US: Priority (c 2-6 days) ------ $26.50
Canada: Express (c 5-8 days) --- $68.50
World: Express (c 5-10 days)-----$90.50
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"Domestic Medicine, or, The Family Physician: being an attempt to render the medical art more generally useful, by shewing people what is in their own power both with respect to the prevention and cure of diseases. Chiefly calculated to recommend a proper attention to regimen and simple medicines." By William Buchan, M.D. of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh. The Third American Edition, With considerable Additions, by the Author. Norwich: printed by John Trumbull, for Robert Hodge, J.D. McDougall and William Green, in Boston. M.DCC.LXXVIII. [1778]. [Reference: Evans 15751; Austin 311].
Hard boards, leather with five raised bands on spine [leather aging, leather creases on spine and between spine and boards; rounded corners, shelf wear: see photos]; boards are attached; 4.1/4" x 7.1/2"; 436 pages; some soiling and wear, a few page corner folds, endpapers are creased at the hinges, very good condition.
The First U.S. Edition published only two years after the Revolution. Two previous editions were printed in Colonial Period:
The first American Edition of Buchan's Domestic Medicine was printed by John Dunlap for Aitken [several printings 1771-1772: Austin 307, 308, 309. Evans 12338].
The Second American edition was printed by Joseph Cruikshank for Aitken in 1774 [Austin 310; Evans 13181].
[Reference: Robert B. Austin. National Library of Medicine (US). "Early American Medical Imprints: A Guide to Works Printed in the United States"]
The Third American Edition of Buchan's "Family Medicine" is one of the very few exceptionally rare books printed in the middle of the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Printed by John Trumbull, the "Artist of the American Revolution." Trumbull resigned his service in George Washington's Continental Army in 1777. Returning home in Lebanon, Connecticut, Trumbull attempted book business in the neighboring Norwich. At that time, Norwich printing press issued local newspaper and short pamphlets. It is understandable that Trumbull, former army officer had chosen to produce Buchan's book in the middle of the war. According to several sources, Buchan's Domestic Medicine was the major medical guide for American revolutionary army and civil population. However, attempting to print books under the war conditions was economically not a good idea. By 1780, Trumbull's funds were completely depleted, and with Benjamin Franklin's recommendation, John Trumbull went to study in London, England.
Three years between quitting army service (1777) and traveling to England (1780) are normally omitted in Trumbull's biographies. During this short period John Trumbull distinguished himself by printing one of the first book printed in the independent United States.
Three Boston book dealers listed on the title page participated in the enterprise to publish this book:
J.D. McDougall, a Boston book and stationary dealer [active 1770s-1790s). William Green who belonged to the old American printers dynasty; and Robert Hodge, book dealer and publisher. According to documents, Robert Hodge was enlisted in the detachment of Washington's Continental Army to guard stores in Boston in 1777. After serving a few months, he was discharged on May 12, 1778. In 1781-1784 Hodge's publishing company's office was located at Newbury-street, Boston.
John Trumbull (1756-1843) was an American artist of the early independence period, notable for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called "The Painter of the Revolution".
Trumbull was the son of the Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull (a first cousin to the poet John Trumbull). A boyhood injury to his left eye made him virtually monocular. After graduating from Harvard College in 1773, he worked as a teacher. During the American Revolution he served as an aide to General George Washington and achieved the rank of colonel. In 1780 Trumbull went to London via France, but, in reprisal for the hanging of the British agent Major John Andre by the Americans, he was imprisoned there. Once released, he returned home but subsequently went back to London by 1784 to study with the painter Benjamin West.
At the suggestion of West and with the encouragement of Thomas Jefferson, Trumbull about 1784 began the celebrated series of historical paintings and engravings that he was to work on sporadically for the remainder of his life. From 1789 he was in the United States, but he returned to London in 1794 as secretary to John Jay. He remained there for 10 years as a commissioner for the implementation of the Jay Treaty. During this period, in 1800, he married Sarah Hope Harvey, an English amateur painter. Moving back and forth between England and the United States, in 1808 he attempted portrait painting in London but met with little success. From 1815 to 1837 he maintained a rather unsuccessful studio in New York City.
[Note: there can be no confusion which of two John Trumbulls published this book. John Trumbull the poet, the cousin of J.T. the painter lived at Hartford area. 1777-to the early 1780s, John Trumbull the poet lived in Watertown, over 70 miles from Norwich, too far to conduct business there.]
William Buchan (1729-1805) was a Scottish physician and author. He is best known for his work "Domestic Medicine: or, a Treatise on the Prevention and Cure of Diseases by Regimen and Simple Medicines" (1769), which provided laypeople with detailed descriptions of the causes and prevention of diseases. Buchan's goal was one of "laying medicine more open to mankind. This work was one of the most popular medical texts in Europe and even in the European colonies in the Americas, and was translated into almost every major European language.
The primary goal of the early American book trade was to replace British imports with American edition of the same texts. This turned out to be a difficult goal to achieve, due to the substantial imports from England. During the Revolutionary War hardly any large books were printed, instead American printing press produced leaflets, pamphlets and newspapers. After the war, "British merchants continued to dump books in America for the rest of the 1780s as the American economy slumped." [Green]. The book production in the United States rapidly increased in the 1790s, when the risk of competition from British imports began to fade due to the war in Europe. [Reference: James N. Green. "The Rise of Book Publishing in America, 1782 to 1830" Penn Univ.]
US: Priority (c 2-6 days) ------ $26.50
Canada: Express (c 5-8 days) --- $68.50
World: Express (c 5-10 days)-----$90.50
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