HAIGHTON, John.

[London: no printer, .]1797

Large 4to, 40 pages. Original blue wrappers, uncut. Foxing on the title and wrappers, paper a little browned, edges of wrappers a little torn and frayed. Presentation copy, boldly inscribed on the verso of the title “Dr Blumenbach / Professor of Physiology / Gottingen / From the author”; library stamp of the Rostock Academy at the foot of the title.

OFFPRINT. “The mammalian ovary was recognised as homologous with the ovary of the oviparous animals. In this connection, the work of Nuck in 1691 is very important as one of the earliest instances of experimental procedure. He ligatured the uterine horns after copulation in a dog, and observed pregnancy afterwards, implantation having taken place above the ligature. His conclusion was that the embryo was derived from the ovary and not from the sperm—‘animal ex ovo generari experimento probatur’. His work was repeated almost exactly 100 years later by Haighton, who drew almost exactly the same conclusion from it” (Needham, A history of embryology, p. 144). Haighton was Lecturer on Physiology and Midwifery at Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals, with the title of Obstetric Physician. Eighteenth century offprints are uncommon.

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