Royal Society shows key 17th century texts

Texts collected over 350 years by the Royal Society, a fellowship of the world’s most eminent scientists, are on display.

They include John Graunt’s pioneering 1679 work on medical statistics, with the unwieldy title Natural And Political Observations... upon The Bills Of Mortality.

Bills of Mortality were weekly lists of deaths in the City of London.

In 1660, for example, nine people died as a result of being “frighted”, while one unfortunate Londoner perished from “itch” in 1648. More than 200 entries cite “grief” as the cause of death.

In the decade spanning 1647/57, when the population of London was fewer than 350,000, Graunt recorded almost 30,000 deaths from consumption.

His work helped launch the disciplines of medical statistics and demography, leading to huge advances in public health and disease management. Other archive exhibits include Newton’s hand-written corrections to his Principia, the first edition of Darwin’s Origin of Species, and Galileo’s revolutionary Starry Messenger, an account of his work with the telescope.

Keith Moore, head of library and archives at the society, said: “This exhibition marks the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society Library.

“Kenelm Digby’s A Discourse Concerning the Vegetation of Plants was given to us in 1661 and this small publication, really only a pocket-book by today’s standards, 12 centimetres in height, marked the founding of our library.

“There are various books on display at our exhibition, which visitors can read just inches away from their nose, including the first edition of Darwin’s Origin of Species, inscribed ‘From the author’.”

Mr Moore continued: “My personal favourite is Photographs of British Algae by Anna Atkins. Published in 1843, it was the first ever photography book, which was a serious scientific landmark. And it was produced by a woman.”

The exhibition runs till June 21.