Untersuchungen über Petromyzon planeri.

Freiburg im Breisgau, Carl Troemer, 1873. 8vo (21.0 x 13.2 cm). [ii], 114 pp.; ten lithographed plates. Contemporary half cloth over marbled boards. Gilt title on the spine. A detailed study by the famous and versatile German anatomist and pathologist Paul Langerhans (1847-1888), dealing with the brook lamprey [now named Lampetra planeri (Bloch, 1784)], a rather rare and threatened non-parasitic lamprey species from northwestern Europe. This work is dedicated to R. Virchow and A. Ecker. “Rudolf Virchow arranged a position for him as prosector in pathological anatomy at the University of Freiburg, and within two years he became a full professor” (Wikipedia). The plates are drawn by Langerhans himself. Langerhans discovered the so-called islets of Langerhans, which are the pancreatic cells which produce insulin.The Langerhans cells in the human skin were also discovered by him, and named after him. During his medical studies Langerhans contracted tuberculosis. During his illness he turned his interest to natural history where his observational skills became quite useful, resulting in this study, and several others. He died on Madeira, shortly before his 41st birthday. Paper somewhat age-toned; erased stamp on title, otherwise a very good copy. Dean II, p. 10.