This is a truly disgusting book - The Illustrated Family Doctor
By an (anonymous) General Practitioner
Published in 1934
It has both line drawings and photos – lots – and it is these that will have you falling off your chair…… (We are particularly fond of the child with hearing problems with a tuning fork on his head.)
Sphagnum moss is used for absorbent dressings, spermaceti -a solid fatty substance derived from the head of a sperm whale - pearly-white glistening translucent oppressed masses used in making ointments and bougies (WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?) Dover’s powder (10% opium) recommended at the start of a cold……. And so on …
But it is not only the contents; it is also the book itself that is truly repulsive…. The cover and pages have suffered from damp (we recommend a dose of Dover’s) and there are, here and there ‘best not to ask’ stains.
Although it would be hard to find another gem like this we have decided to give it a ‘come and get me’ price and we suggest you give it away immediately to a medical student.
9½ x 6¼ inches
720 pages
