Dictionnaire de Bromatologie végétale exotique, comprenant en outre de nombreux articles consacrés aux plantes indigènes dont on ignore ou néglige généralement les propriétés alimentaires, si utilement applicables aux besoins journaliers des classes pauvres[Dictionary of Exotic Vegetable Bromatology, including numerous entries devoted to native plants whose alimentary properties are generally unknown or neglected, yet so usefully applicable to the daily needs of the poorer classes]
First edition (cf. Pritzel 6493; Vicaire, Bibliographie gastronomique, 610.)
Some foxing.
Contemporary half green sheep, the spine darkened and decorated with quadruple gilt fillets, red shagreen lettering-piece, joints rubbed, a gilt name at foot of spine, marbled boards, a few small defects to the edges, mottled edges.
An interesting study listing more than a thousand edible plants, including several little-known species that could, to advantage, be more widely used.
An alphabetical index provides the French names with cross-references to their Latin equivalents.
Some ten pages are devoted to coffee and more than twenty to tea; one also notes entries on the opium poppy, banana, avocado, cacao, the West Indian cherry, cassava, mango, Japanese medlar, the Saint-Domingue hazel, “pain de cassave”, pigeon pea, saffron, New Zealand pine, tamarind, the Chinese vampi, etc.
Provenance: "A. Chevalier" lettered in gilt at the foot of the spine.