Sympathectomy: An Anatomical and Physiological Study with Clinical Applications

First edition of P. A. G. Monro’s specialized study of sympathectomy and the anatomy, physiology, and clinical behavior of the sympathetic nervous system, published by Oxford University Press in 1959. Monro draws upon approximately ten years of anatomical, physiological, and clinical investigation, including prolonged postoperative observation of more than fifty patients following sympathectomy. Particular attention is given to sudomotor pathways and sweating, vasomotor innervation and peripheral blood flow, autonomic fiber regeneration, lumbar intermediate sympathetic ganglia, and the persistence or return of sympathetic activity after surgery. The work combines clinical observation with physiological testing, anatomical study, histological examination, and postoperative follow-up. With a foreword by J. D. Boyd, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Cambridge. A significant mid-twentieth-century monograph on autonomic neurology and surgery, with particular relevance to the history of sympathectomy, peripheral vascular disease, hyperhidrosis treatment, neuroanatomy, and sympathetic nervous-system physiology. Provenance From the library of Herrman L. Blumgart, M.D. (1895–1977), prominent Harvard cardiologist, physician-in-chief of Beth Israel Hospital, and an important pioneer in cardiovascular physiology and diagnostic nuclear medicine. Blumgart’s illustrated personal Ex Libris bookplate is affixed at the front and bears his name in ink. Blumgart was deeply involved in the study of circulation and cardiovascular function, making his ownership particularly appropriate for a work concerned with sympathectomy, vasomotor innervation, autonomic physiology, and peripheral blood flow. Also present is the small bookseller’s label of H. K. Lewis & Co. Ltd., 136 Gower Street, London, the noted medical and scientific bookseller and lending library. Together, the Lewis label and Blumgart bookplate provide an appealing provenance chain for this specialized medical title. Condition Very Good- hardcover in a Fair original dust jacket. The book itself remains solid and well preserved, with a firm binding and generally clean interior. Pages show light age toning. Herrman L. Blumgart’s illustrated bookplate is affixed at the front, with his name entered in ink. Small H. K. Lewis & Co. bookseller label to the inside cover. Minor pencil notation to the copyright page. Original Oxford University Press dust jacket is substantially worn but remains present and substantially complete. Jacket shows age toning, surface soiling, rubbing, edge wear, creasing, several short tears, and chips and losses, particularly at the spine ends and corners. Spine is heavily toned but remains legible. Front and rear panels retain their printed text and design. Please see photographs for full condition and provenance details. Significance / Collector Appeal Monro’s Sympathectomy documents an important period in the development of autonomic surgery and the clinical understanding of the sympathetic nervous system. Its combination of anatomical study, physiological testing, long-term patient observation, and histological examination makes it of continuing interest to collectors and historians of neurology, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, physiology, and twentieth-century medicine. The Herrman L. Blumgart provenance materially strengthens this copy, connecting the book with one of the major figures in twentieth-century American cardiology and cardiovascular research. Shipping / Returns: Carefully packed for shipment. Domestic shipping via USPS Media Mail unless otherwise requested. Expedited and international shipping available where permitted. Returns accepted in accordance with AbeBooks policies. SCI 3b.…