Nerves of the Male Perineum, Antique Hirschfeld Anatomy Print, 1866

This antique Hirschfeld anatomy print of the nerves of the male perineum is Plate 58 from Hirschfeld and Leveille's Nevrologie atlas, an original hand-colored lithograph published in Paris by G. Masson in 1866. This landscape sheet shows the male perineum from below with the thighs drawn apart. The skin and fat are cut away in a broad oval to expose the perineal muscles on both sides, and the perineal nerves are traced in fine white lines fanning across them.

The plate comes from the atlas to Ludovic Hirschfeld's Nevrologie et Esthesiologie, the second edition of his treatise and iconography of the human nervous system and the organs of sense, published in Paris by G. Masson in 1866. Every figure was drawn from life by J. B. Leveille directly from Hirschfeld's own dissections, and the sheet was printed by Lemercier of the rue de Seine. The technique is lithography, and the coloring is original hand color.

Leveille's plates are among the most admired anatomical illustrations of the nineteenth century. They are exact enough to teach from, yet drawn with a restraint that keeps them beautiful rather than merely clinical, and a Hirschfeld anatomy print of this kind will interest collectors of scientific illustration and the history of medicine. This hand-colored lithograph would suit the consulting room of a urologist, gynaecologist or general physician, or a private study or library, where its subject is best appreciated in a professional setting.

Condition is good. The sheet shows light age toning, scattered foxing and minor marginal marks. There is slight staining at the upper-right corner, and there are faint handling creases. The toning is ordinary for paper of this age. Please review the images for further condition details.

This is an original antique plate, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.