MACMICHAEL, William.

8vo, 4 leaves, pp. 179, (1). With woodcuts in the text. Extra-illustrated with 98 engraved plates (1 folding). Later full blue calf by Arthur S. Colley (neat repair to upper joint), spine gilt in compartments with gilt centres and two red morocco labels, sides panelled in gilt with gilt centrepiece of the gold-headed cane, inner gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, a.e.g. A very attractive copy.

FIRST EDITION. G&M 6709: “This charming ‘autobiography’ tells of the adventures of the famous gold-headed cane, successively in the possession of Radcliffe, Mead, Askew, William and David Pitcairn, and Baillie, and then retired to a glass case in the library of the Royal College of Physicians of London. Besides good biographies of the several owners of the cane, the book gives interesting information on the condition of medicine in England in the eighteenth century.” A most unusual and particularly richly extra-illustrated copy, with nearly one hundred additional illustrations, mostly portraits and views, including some of London buildings, and Hogarth’s “Consultation of Physicians”.