LA COURVÉE Jean-Claude de Discours sur la sortie des dens aux petits enfans.

Krivatsy, 6543 ; David, p. 15. No tin Waller, Wellcome, Poletti and Weinberger.

First edition, extremely rare.

Dedicated to the Queen of Poland and Sweden, the work begins with an overview of dentition, beginning with an explanation of the absence of teeth at birth, followed by numerology to define the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ months for teething. The doctor puts forward ideas about how late teething would harden the gums, making teething more painful or even dangerous. The next chapter deals with the effects of food on dentition, starting with ‘milk that is too thick’ due to the mother’s moods, followed by the correct choice of a nurse to ensure that the milk is perfect for growth. Finally, he recommends perfect child hygiene (for example, regular baths in a well-tempered environment) to ensure good teething. In the event of catarrh due to dentition, the doctor considers that bloodletting is necessary, followed by the application of ‘a fire button behind the teste’. The book ends with a very detailed table covering all the subjects discussed.

Jean-Claude de la Courvée (ca. 1615-1664) was born in Vésoul in Franche-Comté and died in Poland. After studying in Paris, he waged a bitter war against the practice of bloodletting and attracted the ire of the famous physician Guy Patin. To escape these quarrels, La Courvée settled in Poland, where he was appointed physician to the Queen of Poland around 1650.

WorldCat has located only 4 first-edition copies of this extremely rare edition (France: BnF; Poland: Krakow; Spain: Madrid, Complutense; United Kingdom: British Library). The other 3 copies (Poznan, Ottawa and Bethesda) are reputed to be microfilms. We have not been able to find any copies of this work offered at auction.

Some printing errors corrected by hand.

Provenance: Félix Séguin (bookseller’s label).