Anatomie élémentaire. [Two fine anatomical plates]

Bruxelles, Société Typografique Belge; Leipzig, Wahlen, 1842. Two lithographed broadsides (91.0 x 54.5 cm and 88.0 x 54.5 cm). A fine and rare work by the French medical doctor Jean-Baptiste Marc Bourgery (1797-1849) and the French painter and lithographer Nicolas Henri Jacob (1782-1871), both better known from their later published Traité complet de l'anatomie de l'homme, comprenant l'anatomie chirurgicale et la médecine opératoire. The current work, fully titled Anatomie élémentaire en 20 planches, avec un texte explicatif à part, formant un manuel complet d'anatomie physiologique, consists of a series of twenty very large anatomical plates, and an additional small explanatory textbook (here not included). From this suite, these are two matching plates, namely Planche 3, Myologie et Aponévrologie - Plan anterieur, or muscles and nerves, frontal, and Planche 5, Myologie Aponévrologie, or muscles and blood vessels seen dorsally. These two plates obviously form a pair, as the view is identical, and the subjects are closely related. A few skilful repairs. Since these plates were meant to be used in medical schools and hospitals, they are usually found well-used, with spotting, creasing, chipping, annotations, stamps, etc., but this set is unusually clean and bright. Very rare in this fine condition.