Beschreibung:

JENNER EDWARD: (1749-1823) English Physician & Scientist, the pioneer of smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. An extremely rare and significant manuscript notebook, unsigned, the tall 8vo bound volume compiled by Jenner, comprising over 100 pages of holograph text (and some original illustrations and diagrams), n.p., n.d. (c.1822/23), being Jenner's transcripts of contemporary scientific texts relating to meteorology. Jenner's notes explore the various aspects of contemporary meteorology, including the observations and discoveries of leading academics including William Falconer, Luke Howard and Thomas Forster and cover a wide variety of meteorological subjects from instrumentation ('a complete apparatus of meteorological instruments should include the Barometer, Thermometer, Hydrometer, Photometer, Athrioscope, Cynometer') through to the influence of flora and fauna ('Animal effluvia as well as vegetable are capable of being mixed with the air, and suspended in it. These are now generally esteemed to be the cause or source of fevers of the malignant or contagious kind'). The comprehensive notebook includes texts from various publications, essays and papers, a few extracts of which include - 'The analysis of the atmosphere is one of the finest discoveries of modern Chemistry. It appears to consist of two distinct expansible fluids contained in different proportions, a single portion of oxygen gas being united to three parts by weight, or four parts by bulk, of azote. There is also a very slight admixture of carbonic acid gas, accounting perhaps to a thousandth part of the whole', from the Supplement to the Encyclopaedia Britannica written by Sir John Leslie between 1815-24, 'The degree of pressure of the atmosphere upon the human body has not been exactly estimated, it having been computed from 31,000 to 42,000 pounds' weight. In the different states of the atmosphere his varies, the effects of these variations are not ascertained', from the 'Remarks on the Influence of Climate, Situation, Nature of Country, Population, Nature of Food, and Way of Life' by William Falconer (London, 1781), 'It is the frequent observation of the countenance of the sky, and of its connection with the present and ensuing phaenomena, that constitutes the antient and popular meteorology. The want of this branch of knowledge renders the predictions of the philosopher, who is attending only to his instruments less generally successful than those of the weather-wise mariner or husbandman', from the Philosophical Magazine, (Vol. XVI, London, 1803. Article XVIII), 'On the Modifications of Clouds, and on the Principles of their Production, Suspension and Destruction'; being the substance of an Essay read before the Askesian Society in the Session 1802-3, by Luke Howard 'One of the principle uses of meteorology is, that it enables us to predict, in some measure, the ensuing changes of the weather. To do this accurately, a familiar acquaintance with the modification of the clouds, and indeed with all the operations which are going on above, appears necessary. When two or more contrary indications appear, the result must be deduced from those which ultimately prevail; & that when several agreeable signs appear, the event may be predicted with additional certainty…some animals express signs of uneasiness previous to an alteration of the weather long before there are any visible signs of a change. Dogs for instance become very drowsy & stupid before rain & their ears are sometimes found considerably inflamed….cats though in a less degree are affected in the same manner - and a leech, confined in a glass of water, has been found, by its rapid motions…to indicate fair or wet weather. Peculiarities in the electric state of the atmosphere may…affect the constitution of animals in the same manner as they appear to do ours, & thereby excite pleasurable or uneasy sensations', from the 'Researches about Atmospheric Phaenomena etc.' by Thomas Forster (London, 18