Why it matters

Mead's first published book, it is described by the US National Library of Medicine as the first book in English devoted entirely to poisons, built on his own experiments — including tasting viper venom — and framed within the iatrophysical (mechanical) explanation of how poisons act on the body. The essays cover viper venom, the mad dog's bite, the tarantula, poisonous minerals and plants, and opium, making it a foundational text of experimental toxicology and a cornerstone of Mead's later career as one of London's most eminent physicians. Much of his theory is wrong, but the method points forward: poison as something to be observed, tested and explained. Mead went on to assemble one of the great libraries of his age. This is where the career started. It's an early landmark in the English literature on poisons, and the folding plate is a bonus.

Why we're looking

A complete-sounding first edition of a landmark toxicology text with its folding plate present, offered by a PBFA member with free 30-day returns. On relative value, the only directly comparable 1702 first edition found sits at US$650 from Lux Mentis (ABAA/ILAB) in contemporary panelled calf, so the $750 ask is roughly $100 above a cheaper copy with loose hinges, dampstaining and a tear while this one is sound but rebound.

Watch out for

The seller's own description documents real condition issues — browned title, foxing throughout, and a creased, browned folding plate — and the book has been rebound in quarter leather, which removes the contemporary calf that collectors of a 1702 medical first usually want. On collation, the University of Iowa's Heirs of Hippocrates records two settings of the 1702 edition, one collating [16] 175 [1] pp. and one [16] 183 [1] pp. (the longer set in larger type), so the stated 176 pp. is consistent with the shorter setting rather than a defect — but it is worth asking the seller to confirm the preliminaries are present and the plate is uncropped. Note also that AbeBooks' bibliographic field for this listing reads "Ralph South" while the imprint is recorded as "Ralph Smith"; likely a transcription slip, but confirm against the title page image.