April 6, 2006
Anatomia Corporum Humanorum: Rare 1739 volume donated
Dr. Peter Brooks, a retired general surgeon and former state legislator from Walla Walla, came to the Health Sciences Library in March to present a donation of a copy of a rare book, Anatomia Corporum Humanorum by renowned anatomist William Cowper, published in Latin in 1739.
Brooks, 89, said the book was given to him and his wife as a wedding present in 1942.
“It has brought great joy to me over the years, and I just thought this is where it should end up,” Brooks said in presenting the book in a ceremony in the Rare Book Room of the Health Sciences Library.
The book, according to Colleen Weum, rare books manager, is a second edition of the original written by Cowper in England in 1698. It features 140 extraordinary hand-drawn plates illustrating the human anatomy.
“The book is an amazing piece and in such wonderful condition. What a generous gift from Dr. Brooks!” Weum said.
Brooks attended medical school at Columbia University and joined the Navy as a physician just before World War II, serving on front line ships, including at the Battle of Iwo Jima. He taught at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before moving to Walla Walla in 1949, saying he wanted a “country practice.”
The Rare Book collection is available for use by appointment. For more information, contact Weum at 206-543-3439.
