The Useful Family Herbal,: Or, an account of all those English plants, which are remarkable for their virtues: And of the Drugs, which are produced by Vegetables of other Countries. With their Descriptions, and their Uses, as proved by Experience. Illustrated with figures of the mo

RARE FIRST EDITION OF A POPULAR HERBAL
first edition, first? issue without dedication 8vo. liv, 404pp., 8 engraved plates (each with multiple images), contemporary sprinkled calf, without the blank leaf c4 (at the end of the preliminaries, following p.liv), joints and ends of spine very neatly refurbished and with a new and sympathetic russet morocco label gilt. A fresh and attractive copy.
Neat early signature at head of title page "William W. Fleming" and small and the unobtrusive twentieth century stamp of David Grant of Waterford in its lower margin.

Henrey British Botanical & Horticultural Literature before 1800, 1446 cf. ESTC t62620 issue with dedication
This first and anonymous edition was issued both without a dedication as here and with one and with a slightly different pagination (vide Henrey 1447).Hill (1716?-1775), apothecary and writer on botany, gardening and farming, was in 1750 awarded on the basis of his publications the degree of Doctor of Medicine by the University of S. Andrews. "This honour gave him social prestige. Furthermore it must have pleased his publishers, as his name could now appear on the title pages as 'John Hill, M.D.' ... Not only was Hill industrious and energetic, but his writings show him to have been a man of real ability and genius. Unfortunately he was conceited, eccentric, and fond of self-advertisement, characteristics which do not lead to popularity. ... A number of Hill's works were published anonymously or with authorship concealed under another name, a condition apparently imposed upon him by his publishers after his many literary quarrels and growing unpopularity. This may have been the reason for Hill's name not appearing on the title page of the first edition of Eden [and of this work] and for The Gardener's New Calendar being published anonymously" [Henrey, v.2., p.90-109]. The Useful Family Herbal proved to be one of the most popular works of its type running to at least eight editions into the nineteenth century and naming Hill as author after this anonymous first. "The intent of the author ... is to inform those who live in the country, and are desirous of being useful to their families and friends; or charitable to the poor, in the relief of their disorders; of the virtues of those plants, which grow wild about them: that they may be able to supply this necessary assistance in places where apothecaries are not at hand, and may that they may be able also to do it without putting themselves to the expense of medicines of price, when common herbs, that may be had for gathering, will answer the same purpose" [Chapter 1, p.xv-xvi]. In 1760 Hill published the first Linnean flora to be published in Britain, and in this work although he as befitted his purpose used the common English names "the Latin names are added".
Apparently no copy at auction since 1988.