Letters from Italy, Describing the Customs and Manners of that Country, in the Years 1765, and 1766, to which is annexed an Admonition to Gentlemen who Pass the Alps, the their Tour through Italy

[1767] iv, 315, [1]pp. In full contemporary calf leather, gilt rules front and back, five raised bands and gilt lettering on spine.  8vo.  Boards heavily worn, with some rubs and scuffs, especially on corners, front hinge broken and almost detached,  loosening front panel and first few leaves.  text block edges tonned. Previous owner’s inscription, dated 1778 on front paste down; and amother owner’s inscription, obliterated, on front free endpaper.  Some toning around edges of first and last  few leaves (including endpapers).  Some minor bookworming in lower margin affecting last 20 or so leaves, not affecting text.  

Hard to find title in readable, and restorable, condition. 

Sharp (1709-1778) was an internationally renowned surgeon at Guy’s Hospital in London.  His Treatise on the Operations of Surgery (1739) was the first British study of operation techniques and he is credited with making many improvements to surgical instruments.  He resigned from Guy’s in 1757 for health reasons.  He set out on a winter tour through Italy in 1765. One outcome of his travels was this, Letters from Italy, a plain-speaking and contraversial account of 18th century Italian culture.