Item Details
Sensorial Vision: A Paper.
Leeds, UK: Printed by Edward Baines and Sons, 1858. First Edition. Original Wraps. From the library of Dr. Oliver Sacks, the renowned neurologist, author, and educator. He was, in his life, celebrated for his contributions to the understanding of the human brain and his ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to a broader audience. In doing so, he highlighted the profound impact of neurological disorders on human identity and experience. His library is a reflection of this remarkable polymath's questing mind. Bookseller notes by Eric Korn, respected bookseller and long time friend of Oliver Sacks.
"On 30 September 1858, the day after the close of that year’s annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Sir John Herschel, renowned British mathematician, astronomer, chemist, and inventor of the term photograph, gave a lecture on “Sensorial Vision” to the Philosophical and Literary Society of Leeds. It was a very personal talk, following a difficult decade for him. Herschel’s health had declined, and he increasingly turned to opium and laudanum to try and reduce his pains.11 In his lecture, Herschel spoke of “ocular spectra,” which he explained as temporary disturbances to sight, including the impressions produced by strong light on the retina of the eye. Herschel also talked about the images of faces that he saw, “sometimes ten or a dozen appear in succession,” as well as the landscapes he visualized more rarely, but much more distinctly, when his eyes were closed..Other men of science besides Herschel had written of their visual defects, but his discussions were more than personal musings on visual fragility. Instead, they provided opportunities to theorize about the physics of light and optics and the physiology of vision."--NLM Bookshelf, Migraine: a History. Very Good+. Disbound with punched sewn holes on spine, browned, discoloration to edges/folding/buckling, mild foxing/toning throughout, else tight, bright, and unmarred. Loose with original tp. 8vo. 16pp. Ex-library stamp on tp. Item #12731
Price: $650.00