Medical flora; Or, Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States

1828. RAFINESQUE, Constantine S. Medical Flora; Or, Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States of North America. Philadelphia. 1828/1830. Two volumes. [4],xii,268; 276pp., plus 102 plates printed in green (including two extra copies of plate 4, the Mealy Starwort). 12mo. Contemporary light brown mottled calf, spines ruled in gilt, gilt morocco spine labels. Minor edge wear and light scuffing to boards, corners rubbed and bumped. Horizontal closed tear across page 184-84 of first volume partially repaired at fore-edge, moderate foxing throughout. Very good set. The most important work of the eccentric polymath naturalist, Rafinesque, based on his fifteen years' experience collecting American medicinal plants. Rafinesque visited the United States in 1802-4, returning as a permanent resident in 1815. He travelled extensively in the eastern and midwestern United States, and was professor of natural history at the University of Kentucky in the early 1820s, making a significant contribution to American botany. This book, self-published in an individual style, as with many of his productions, contains cataloguing of hundreds of American medicinal plants. It is illustrated by 100 sequentially-numbered plates printed entirely in green, plus two extra copies of plate 4, the Mealy Starwort (likely a binder's error). This is Rafinesque's most extensive work, as well as being one of his most important contributions. As with all of his works, it is quite uncommon, especially in such a nice contemporary binding. TAXONOMIC LITERATURE 8579. SABIN 67457. NISSEN (BBI) 1579. FITZPATRICK 554, 557.