HOWARD, Thomas

HOWARD, Thomas. On the Loss of Teeth

London, Simpkin and Marshall (Printed by T. Brettell), 1855.

£350

 

12mo, 70 pp., 1 f. (dentist’s ads), plus frontispiece printed in blue of a female head profile and with slip overlay depicting a corrected jaw (the slip “represents the face of a Lady deprived of her Teeth, their loss occasioning that close approximation of the nose and chin so Characteristic of Old Age”, while the frontispiece underneath “represents the same Face restored to his original & Youthful appearance by the Aid of Artificial Teeth as supplied by Mr Thomas Howard”). Bookplate of Robert Washington Oates with motto “esse quam videri” on left pastedown. Publisher’s blind stamped cloth, gilt title on left cover. In perfect condition, almost mint.

A scarce treatise on dentistry dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Fifteenth edition (as stated on title page). The author, who was personal surgeon dentist to the Primate of England, discusses various aspects of managing teeth and gum health such as how to cure and prevent toothaches, dental surgery procedures, preservation of teeth, use of artificial teeth, and foods and their effects on teeth. Howard uphold that “It is the duty of all, and the wish of the benevolent, to preserve their health and personal appearance for the satisfaction of those who love them”, p. 33.

On the owner: “Robert Washington Oates (1874-1958) was born in London and educated in Belgium and Germany. He served in the First World War as a private soldier, at the same time amassing a considerable fortune through his financial interest in a firm of industrial chemists. After the war he became an antique dealer, gaining an international reputation in the antiquarian book-trade. In 1954 Oates was instrumental in securing Gilbert White’s home, The Wakes, as a permanent memorial to the naturalist and author. There he established the Oates Memorial Museum and Library, which commemorated two members of his own family, his cousin, Captain Lawrence Oates (1880-1912), a member of the Scott’s Antarctic Expedition and his uncle, Frank Oates (1840-1875) who was one of the first Europeans to see the Victoria Falls. At that time, the Library was reported to amount to 40,000 books. Two collections of books from the Oates Memorial Library were acquired by the University in 1970.” (from the website of Southampton Library: http://library.soton.ac.uk/oatesafrica)