A Treatise on the Management of Female Complaints, and of Children in Early Infancy by HAMILTON, M. D., Alexander 1795

New York: Printed and Sold by Samuel Campbell, 1795. 17.6x10.5cm: [i-v], vi, [7], 8-304pp. Collated and complete. Bound in full contemporary tree calf, gilt-ruled spine with gilt titling on black spine label. Leather well worn, with several scrapes and a few nicks. Some leather loss at spine ends. Corners rounded. Hinges cracked, but holding firm. Minor paper loss at lower left corner of first few leaves, likely due to biopredation. Damp staining to last several pages including the endpapers. Small hole on page 304, not impacting text. Moderate foxing throughout. Very Good.

Alexander Hamilton, M. D. (1739-1802) was a doctor of midwifery at the University of Edinburgh. Although Hamilton wrote several books on midwifery to be used for medical purposes, this particular book was intended for home use. Hamilton writes in the introduction, “Through the whole work, the author has carefully endeavoured to point out the nature of the several differences of which he treats, to show the circumstances from which many complaints originate, in order that they may be guarded against, and to distinguish these cases which may be safely trusted to the management of the patients themselves, from those which require the attendance of a medical practitioner.” Some interesting sections within Hamilton’s female manual include information on “a certain Evacuation, which recurs periodically”, “hysteric affections” in which opiates can be useful, “pregnancy…and its many disagreeable sensations”, “the state of women after delivery”, recommendations against weaning infants with the use of laudanum, and an appendix with common medicines like common vitriol, cordials, antimonial wine, and, of course, opium along with proper dosing for adults and children.

Evans 28794. Austin 867. Also, published in New York, Hanover Square: Samuel Campbell, 1792. Evans 24376