The natural method of cureing the diseases of the body, and the disorders of the mind depending on the body

This copy of the second edition of George Cheyne’s work on disease is a rare and notable survivor of the disastrous Harvard fire of 1762. On the night of January 24th, during a storm of snow and high wind, Harvard Hall, containing the College’s books and scientific apparatus, caught fire. Over 5,000 volumes were destroyed, with only 404 surviving, the books being either on loan or recent donations not yet unpacked. Today, 67 books which survived the fire can be identified, and eight of these are in the collections of the Countway.

The Cheyne volume, along with another fire survivor, A new method of treating consumptions (1727) by Nicholas Robinson, have been recently digitized and are now available through the Medical Heritage Library project.