Traité d'hygiène [- Supplement au Traité d'hygiene]. [Belgium? c. 1810] 8vo: [4]-110-[6 bl.]-[6]-53 pp., in...

Traité d'hygiène [- Supplement au Traité d'hygiene]. [Belgium? c. 1810] 8vo: [4]-110-[6 bl.]-[6]-53 pp., in French, brown ink on wove paper, pencil ruling (cut shaving the pagination, occ. light soiling, pencil annot. p. 87). Half brown sheep, brown paper on boards, gilt-filleted spine, red title-label (split joints, used and bumped corners). Int. very fresh. Treatise composed mainly but not only of large extracts from a compilation by Louis Odier: "Principes d'hygiène: extraits du Code de santé et de longue vie, de Sir John Sinclair, Bart." (Geneva, 1810). Fascinating work focusing in particular on the impact of hygene on longevity, quoting numerous examples from ancient texts and travel accounts. The author also mentions (p. 87) examples of old physicians known to him and located in Flanders ("Le medecin Daman de Gand avait près de 90 ans à sa mort, le méd.n Soupart près de 100 [...]; a marg. note adds a few examples: "mon pere 86. Wauters 80 [...]"). Among the "causes de destruction" of health: "mauvaise education", "moeurs corrompues", "nourriture trop succulente et souvent dereglée", "usage [...] des liqueurs fermentées", "habitude de se tenir dans des maisons trop chaudes", "manque d'exercice régulier", "exhalaisons pernicieuses des grandes villes", "climats malsains", etc. It sounds curiously modern! Enriched with a lith. diagram on laid paper (flyleaf).