Bushveld Doctor (1938 and 1990)

[See also Lot 188]

Two versions are included in this lot - the first is a copy of the second impression of the first edition (1938) and the second is a limp-cover copy of the first South African edition (1980), which includes 18 photographs, most of them taken by Leipoldt himself during the time he was Medical Inspector of Schools in the Transvaal. The existence of these photographs had been brought to the attention of the new publishers by Dr Stephen Gray of the Rand Afrikaans University [later the University of Johannesburg].

In his introduction, Leipoldt writes that those responsible for the instrument of Union "held tightly to many illusions", with the result that "Crime, agriculture, railways, finance, taxation, and even forestry, were held to be of such immense importance that they could not be delegated to the . . . Provincial Administrations . . . But public health, primary education, and roads, all three the main civilising factors in any community, were trustfully handed over to these secondary administrations, that were given a free hand so far as initiative and experiment were concerned . . . "

This great book contains wisdom enough for almost a century later, when an authority of the calibre of Professor Johnathan Jansen reckons that the country's education would take fifteen years to fix, and then only if the best teachers were chosen to teach pre-school children.

1. White dustjacket printed in black and green, unclipped (10 shillings and sixpence), red cloth-boards, top edge tinted red, bottom edge untrimmed, plain endpapers, 350 pp of text. Condition: The dustjacket spine has been repaired, but the rubbing remains. The boards are rubbed at the spine and corners. The binding is tight. There is a 1938 dedication on the front free endpaper, but no other markings. The contents are undiscoloured.
2. The republished softcover edition has a colour cover, 259 pp of text, three pages of notes and 18 illustrations on art paper. Condition. Unmarked and very good throughout.