Description

DURSTON, William, ‘An Extract of a Letter […] concerning a very sudden and excessive Swelling of a Womans [sic] Breasts’, Philosophical Transactions 52 (17 October 1669), pp. 1047–49

Single issue offered; small 4to, pp. 1041–1058 [folding plate]

An important episode in the history of medicine: the earliest description of gigantomastia/breast hypertrophy, with William Durston’s striking illustration of his patient.

In July 1669 the Plymouth physician Durston wrote to the Royal Society to report the case of Elizabeth Travers, who had woken one morning to find that her breasts had swollen massively, rendering her more or less immobile. Against the suggestion of other practitioners, Durston refused to carry out a surgical intervention, instead using a variety of medicines, the names of which are redacted in this account.

The Royal Society published Durston’s letter and illustration in its 52nd issue (offered here) – only the second case of a human pathology to have been illustrated in the journal. In spite of his treatments, Travers died four months after first presenting symtoms. Durston removed one breast post mortem, finding that it weighed 29 kg (64 lb).

Durston’s illustration and its engraved version have been much discussed in the literature on the visualization of disease. Nico Bertoloni Meli likens the image to ‘a saint displaying the wounds of her martyrdom’. Simona Valeriani points out that the image is a form of testimony, should the case be dismissed as exaggerated: along with his drawing Durston sent the Royal Society the actual measuring tapes used to measure Travers’ breasts.

Good condition: disbound but text-block and illustration in excellent condition, paper fresh and bright, entirely unmarked.