CURTIS, John Harrison (1778--ca. 1860)
An essay on the deaf and dumb; shewing the necessity of medical treatment in early infancy: with observations on congenital deafness. Second edition. By John Harrison Curtis, Esq. ...
London:, printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman,, 1834.
[5], viii--xxxii, 211, [3], 4 p., engr. frontis., 2 engr. pl., [1] fold. litho. pl. ; 22.1 cm. (8º)

First published 1829. This is a reissue of the sheets of the first edition with a new title-page, frontispiece and dedication dated 21 May 1834, apparently occasioned by the award to Curtis of a gold medal by the governors and friends of the Royal Dispensary for Diseases of the Ear and the Deaf and Dumb on 16 April of that year. Although Curtis's ideas and practice "were a mixture of charlatan and of applied common sense" his writings contributed to the creation of a favourable climate, and in 1816 he founded the Dispensary for Diseases of the Ear, the first specialist ear hospital in Britain. (ODNB) The frontispiece group portrait of three patients of the Royal Dispensary is engraved by W. Bond after a painting by W. Bone. At the end is a leaf soliciting subscriptions to the Dispensary with a folded plate depicting a proposed enlargement to the building at 10 Dean Street; Soane is listed among the Vice Presidents of the Dispensary. The final 4 pages contain a list of other works by Curtis published by Longman.

Copy Notes Inscribed in ink on the front free-endpaper Sir John Soane / Vice President of the / Royal Dispensary for / Diseases of the Ear / &c &c &c / With the Author's respects. Unopened. The 'Preface' is misbound before the 'Contents'.

Binding C19th full moiré red cloth with floral pattern in blind, black leather spine-label.

Reference Number 4572

Additional Names Royal Dispensary for Diseases of the ear and the Deaf and Dumb; Curtis, John Harrison (1778--1860)