John Ayrton Paris

The physician and author John Ayrton Paris (1785–1856), several of whose other medical and popular works have been reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection, published the first edition of this book in 1812. It was immediately successful, and went into eight further editions until 1843: this reissue is of the 1820 third edition. Many volumes on materia medica existed at the time, and Paris claims in his preface that he is not disparaging these competitor works, but that they presume too much prior knowledge on the part of the reader. His own work is designed to inform the student of the properties and effects of each medicinal substance, and how they function, both alone and in combinations. This will lead to greater understanding of the efficacy of medicines, and also help to prevent their adulteration. The qualities of each ingredient are discussed, and formulae and doses provided.

The physician and author John Ayrton Paris (1785–1856), several of whose other medical and popular works have been reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection, published the first edition of his Pharmacologia in 1812. It was immediately successful, and went into eight further editions until 1843. The third edition, of 1820, has been reissued in this series. This book, published in 1825, was intended as a companion volume, providing a 'grammar' of chemistry for the medical student. After an imaginary dialogue on the importance of chemistry, between a provincial physician and 'the author', to whom the former is entrusting his son for his medical education, the book moves systematically from the general application of chemistry to medicine, through topics such as gravity, crystallization and electricity, to the detail of the actions of specific elements, and tables of relevant weights and measures, providing fascinating insights into the history of medical education.

President of the Royal College of Physicians from 1844 until his death, John Ayrton Paris (1785–1856) wrote chiefly on medical topics, yet he also devoted time to the study of science and natural history. He served as physician to the Penzance Dispensary between 1813 and 1817, during which time he helped to establish what became the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. First published anonymously in 1816, and reissued here in the second edition of 1824, this work explores the landscapes and natural history of the western part of Cornwall. Presented as a series of 'excursions', the guide takes in locations such as St Michael's Mount and the Lizard, also covering the rich mining districts at Redruth and St Just, and discussing local customs, the Cornish language and the health-giving climate. Several of Paris's medical and biographical works are also reissued in this series, including his life of the Cornish chemist Sir Humphry Davy.

English physician William George Maton (1774–1835) was a polymath who had a special interest in botany: a shell and a parrot were among species named in his honour. His writings on natural history included a catalogue of the plant and animal life around Salisbury, Wiltshire, which was published posthumously in 1843 and is reissued as the second part of this composite work. The first part contains a sketch of Maton's life and work by fellow physician and writer John Ayrton Paris (c. 1785–1856), first presented to the Royal College of Physicians, and subsequently published in 1838. Paris discusses Maton's early life, his contributions to the growing field of botany, his other scientific and antiquarian interests, and his distinguished medical career, during which he was appointed physician-extraordinary to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, and later physician-in-ordinary to the duchess of Kent and the young Princess (later Queen) Victoria.

Sir Humphry Davy (1778–1829) was a hugely influential chemist, inventor, and public lecturer who is recognised as one of the first professional scientists. He was apprenticed to an apothecary in 1795, which formed his introduction to chemical experiments. A chance meeting with Davis Giddy in 1798 introduced Davy into the wider scientific community, and in 1800 he was invited to a post at the Royal Institution, where he lectured to great acclaim. These volumes, first published in 1831, contain Davy's official biography. Researched and written by John Ayrton Paris, the work describes in detail Davy's life and his scientific studies. Organised chronologically with excerpts from his private correspondence, Davy's early life and his experiments and lectures at the Royal Institution and his Presidency of the Royal Society between 1820 and 1827 are explored in vivid detail. Volume 2 describes his life and work between 1812 and 1829.

Title: A Guide to the Mount's Bay and the Land's End; comprehending the topography, botany, agriculture, fisheries, antiquties, mining, mineralogy and geology of Western Cornwall. Second edition. To which is added ... a dialogue on the peculiar advantages of the climates of Penzance, Devonshire, and the southern parts of Europe. By a Physician i.e. J. A. Paris]. Publisher: British Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC. The GEOGRAPHY & TOPOGRAPHY collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. Offering some insights into the study and mapping of the natural world, this collection includes texts on Babylon, the geographies of China, and the medieval Islamic world. Also included are regional geographies and volumes on environmental determinism, topographical analyses of England, China, ancient Jerusalem, and significant tracts of North America. ++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library Anonymous; Paris, John Ayrton; 1824. 8 . 578.d.38.