Title
The Practice of Medicine (1936)
Author
Jonathan Campbell Meakins, M.D., L.L.D.
Image
Description
A comprehensive, illustrated guide to clinical medicine by one of Canada’s most distinguished early 20th-century physicians, this 1936 edition of The Practice of Medicine by Jonathan Campbell Meakins was published by the renowned C. V. Mosby Company. Meakins was Physician-in-Chief at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and a key figure in medical education at McGill University. This edition features 505 illustrations, including 35 in color, and covers diagnostic and therapeutic practices common in pre-antibiotic internal medicine.
Condition
Spine detached from back board, binding exposed
Pages intact with moderate age-related toning
Some foxing visible
Clean title page with bold print
Usable, readable, and shelf-display ready
Gallery
Historical context
This book was published during a transitional period in internal medicine. Antibiotics were just emerging, and physicians still relied heavily on clinical observation, detailed physical exams, and intricate diagnostic pattern recognition. Meakins was an early advocate for evidence-based medicine and integrated pathology with bedside care. His work was foundational in shaping Canadian and British Commonwealth medical education standards.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
Jonathan Meakins’ legacy continued through his son, also a physician, creating a rare two-generation academic dynasty in medicine.
The book includes a rare full-color plate series for visual diagnostics—uncommon at the time due to printing costs.
Meakins was one of the first to describe stress and emotion’s impact on physical health—decades ahead of psychoneuroimmunology.
Excerpt
“It is only by a thorough understanding of the interplay between disease pathology and the body’s response that the physician may approach true diagnosis.”
Why it is in the Cabinet
This volume represents a pivotal point in the evolution of bedside medicine, combining diagnostic clarity with visual teaching. The illustrations—especially the color plates—make it not only educational but also visually compelling. Its presence in my Cabinet marks the bridge between 19th-century medical guesswork and 20th-century scientific rigor.