THE MODERN ENCYCLOPAEDIA; or Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature

London: Richards & Co, 1822. Hardcover. copper plate engravings. pp. 802. Thick 4to. Originally published as a set of ten volumes, the title page indicates that this is volume VII, covering topics from 'liquor' to 'mineralogy', but it appears to be more of a 'dummy' or made-up copy, for the reasons which follow. Preceding the text are fourteen full page copper plate engravings, presumably to accompany the 'C' volume, as they show the internal movement of clocks, techniques of carpentry, catarnet, centres, cerebrum, chemical apparatus, chymistry [sic], cinchona, and clitorismus (rather gruesome). Extensive articles in the text cover such topics as locks, logarithms (with an eighteen page table of logarithms from 1 to 1,000), logic (pp. 58 to 89), London (pp. 96 to 124 but not complete), [the pagination then skips from page 124 (London) to 273 (magnetism)], Mahomet and Mahometanism, mechanics (pp. 379 to 430), medicine (pp. 443 to 595), metallurgy (pp. 619 to 653), microscope (pp. 676 to 715), midwifery (pp. 717 to 759). There are, of course, many other shorter articles. There is some staining to the foredges, which has darkend the outer margins, but the text is generally quite clean. When we acquired this volume it was in the original printer's boards which were in very shabby condition, although the contents were in very good condition. We deemed it appropriate to have had it re-bound in plain cloth with a new spine label. Now in very nice condition - an unusual item.