Magic and Healing.
London: Rider & Company, ND [ 1946 ]. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 176pp. Navy cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, b/w frontispiece and illustrations. The first edition of this popular study of early beliefs on magic and the cure of disease. Much on healing in ancient Britain, herbs, magical stones and rings, etc. The author, Charles John Samuel Thompson (1862-1943), was in charge of acquisitions for Henry Wellcome, and thus had access to what would become the library of the Wellcome Institute, one of the great collections medical, alchemical, and related books and manuscripts in the world. Very light shelfwear, page edges and endpapers unevenly browned and lightly foxed, pages lightly toned, unmarked. A solid and unmarked VG+ copy in just Good dust jacket. (Dust jacket is darkened and foxed, all edges and folds somewhat worn and chipped, several one inch chips at upper edges, price clipped. Dust jacket now protected in removable mylar sleeve). Item #65587
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