Harvey, William. [Anatomical exercitations, concerning the generation of living creatures.] [London, 1653.] 16 x 10cm. [44], 566, [2] pp. (*Lacks frontis, title-page, and final blank, else complete; note the frontis is often lacking and in many cases was never bound in.) Bound in library buckram, faded, front blank with inscription dated 1680 ("Presented to the New York Society Library"), contents with several old library ink-stamps of the same, some areas of soiling/toning/foxing throughout, water-staining near front, a few early ink notes, one dedication leaf with several holes removing several words, some marginal chips. As-is, an imperfect copy of a very important work. *********************** FIRST ENGLISH EDITION OF HARVEY'S LIFE WORK. "Harvey considered this to be the culminating work of his life, and more significant than de Motu Cordis. ... Harvey was among the first to disbelieve the erroneous doctrine of the 'preformation' of the foetus; he maintained that the organism derives from the ovum by the gradual building up and aggregation of its parts. The chapter on midwifery in this book is the first work on that subject to be written by an Englishman" (Garrison-Morton 467, 1651 edition in Latin). ESTC R13027