Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1042

HEINRICH PALMAZ LEVELING (1742-1798) Anatomische Erklarung der Original-Figuren von Andreas Vesal. Zu finden bey Anton Attenkhouer 1783 [24] 328 [4] pp., 3 plates (2 fold., front.), illus. 38.8 cm.

Leveling was born at Trier where his father was professor of medicine and Leveling's own two sons later followed him into the teaching and practice of medicine. Leveling received his medical degree at Strasbourg and taught at Trier for several years before moving to Ingolstadt in 1771 where he practiced and taught anatomy, physiology, and surgery for the remainder of his career. In 1774, Leveling was asked by the chief physician of Ingolstadt, von Woltter, to arrange for publication of the wood blocks from the Fabrica (see No. 281) and Epitome (see No. 291) of Vesalius. Von Woltter had acquired them from Augsburg where Andreas Maschenbauer, a printer and publisher, had published two editions of selected anatomical plates from the Fabrica and Epitome in 1706 and 1723. Leveling comments in the preface of the book that he had 1500 copies printed, many of which were sold by subscription. He considered the matter of the wood blocks authenticity and concluded that they were originals. Leveling's goal was to present the wood blocks in the most useful manner possible and so he gave only a brief explanation of each figure in German instead of including all of the textual material in Latin. The book contains the title page from the 1543 edition of the Fabrica, two full-page woodcuts from the Epitome and over 200 additional woodcuts from the 1555 edition of the Fabrica. The book's title page features a finely engraved portrait of Leveling.

See Related Record(s): 281 291

Cited references: Choulant-Frank, p. 185; Cushing L192; Cushing Vesalius VI.A.-15; Osler 573; Waller 5752; Wellcome III, p. 508

Gift of John Martin, M.D.