A MILESTONE IN CANCER RESEARCH

HANNOVER, ADOLPH.

Om Epithelioma, en særegen Svulst. Med to lithographerede Tavler.

Kjøbenhavn (Copenhagen), 1852.

8vo. Very nice, contemporary purpelish full cloth binding with gilt lettering and blindstamped line-decoration to spine. Spine faded and a bit of spotting to boards. Bent blank top corner of title-page, resulting in two minor creases. Brownspotting due to the quality of the paper and occasinal pencil-underlinings. All in all a very nice copy. Old owner's name (and date to front free end-paper. (4), 162, (2) pp. + 2 lithographic plates.


Exceedingly scarce true first edition, in the original Danish, of this milestone in cancer research, in which Hannover defines a new kind of tumor and coins the term “Epithelioma”.

This newly discovered and defined group of tumors is characeterized by not containing cellulose cancrosa, by having a specific cell-structure, and by being found in only skin and mucosa.

“Hannover coined the word “epithelioma”. He did not recognize its malignant character but maintained that metastases were produced by cancer cells arriving by way of the blood stream” (G&M).

Adolph Hannover was the most renowned Danish medical scientist and physician of his era - the first Danish microscopist and the leading Danish histologist - and the “Epithelioma” constitutes his magnum opus, for which he gained international renown. The work was originally written in Danish, but immediately translated into German. The German translation appeared the same year as the original Danish. Both editions are rare, with no copies listed at auctions, but the original Danish is significantly scarcer than the German translation. Outside of Scandinavia, OCLC lists copies in only Germany, Netherlands, and USA, and both Wellcome and Garrison & Morton have only the German translation.  

G&M: 2615 (the German translation from the same year as the original).

Order-nr.: 63323


DKK 24.000,00