Leigh, Charles; The Natural History of Lancashire, Cheshire, and in the Peak in Derbyshire, with an Account of the British, Phoenician, Armenian, Greek, and Roman Antiquities in those Parts. Oxford: Printed for the Author; and to be had at Mr. George West's, and Mr. Henry Clement's, Booksellers there; Mr. Edward Evet's, at the Green-Dragon, in St. Paul's Church-yard; and Mr. John Nicholson, at the King's-Arms, in Little-Britain, London. MDCC. Folio, pp. 20, 4, list of subscribers, 1, advertisement, 196, 1; 2, 97, 1; 112, 35. Engraved frontis portrait, 23 plates and full paged engravings including two plates of coats-of-arms, one double-page coloured map titled, "A New Map of Lancashire, Cheshire & Derby”.
The work is complete and in a 20th century half calf over marbles boards with raised spine panels and gilt titles. The binding is tight and very clean. The text and plates are clean and bright with a small contemporary stain to the upper margin of one page. In very good condition.
Leigh (1662-1701) was an English physician and antiquarian. He had a medical practice in London, which he later moved to Manchester and also had an extensive practice throughout Lancashire. Leigh was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1685. Leigh, is remembered primarily as a naturalist. He published several works, the most important of which is his 1700 work ‘Natural History of Lancashire, Cheshire, and the Peak of Derbyshire”.
Within this book, Leigh presents a fascinating investigation of the “Philosophy, Physick, and History” of the Lancashire region. The plates, executed by “the best Artists” Leigh “could meet with” are beautifully and expertly executed and contain the most varied and curious representations: fossils, a head “of a stag of Canada found under the Moss”, the patella “that lies betwixt the vertebrae of the back of a whale”, the skull of a hippopotamus, a full page of various birds, and numerous other subjects. The volume concludes with a suite of engravings depicting ancient artifacts, including coins, inscriptions and statues.
In the first part of the book, Leigh discusses the physical environment including the temperature and pressure of air, the mineral waters, soil and coal, minerals and metals and performs experiments to demonstrate the properties of these various substances and their effects upon humans and animals. There are also descriptions of flora and fauna, marine biology and “Fossile Plants”.
One of Leigh’s goals is an attempt to demonstrate and prove the historical reality of the “Universal Deluge”, by producing artifacts and animals artifacts found in Lancashire that were never naturally-occurring and therefore must have been swept to England from far-flung corners of the world, For example, a huge flood covered the whole earth and swept hippos from their home lands, and deposited them in the mud of Lancashire.
In the second part of the book, Leigh turns to a discussion of “Physick”, beginning with a description and comparison of variously textured solid substances, including shells and the various unusual places they were found. The rest of the second book concerns various ‘distempers’ or illnesses including an account of a “The Pestilential Fever raging in Lancashire, in the years 1693, 94, 95, 96”. Leigh discusses the symptoms of each illness, provides case studies, offers medicinal cures, and possible causes of each illness, The volume concludes with a suite of engravings depicting ancient artifacts, including coins, inscriptions and statues.
