BESSIS (Marcel). - Lot 24

BESSIS (Marcel). The Birth, Life, and Death of Red Blood Cells. Paris, Sandoz Éditions, n.d. (circa 1980). Large quarto, illustrated publisher’s hardcover. A fine popular science book devoted to the biology of red blood cells, written by Marcel Bessis (1917–1994), an internationally renowned French hematologist, director of the National Blood Transfusion Center, and founder of the Institute of Cellular Pathology. A pioneer in the application of microscopy to hematology, Bessis revolutionized the observation of blood cells through the use of ultra-high-definition photographic and cinematographic techniques. This book presents, with remarkable visual quality, the various stages of erythrocyte life: formation in the bone marrow, maturation, circulation, aging, and destruction, illustrated by numerous microphotographs obtained using optical and electron microscopes. Partway between a scientific photo album and a reference work, this volume attests to the importance placed on imagery in biomedical research during the second half of the 20th century. Condition: very good copy.