Encyclopaedia Britannica launches hunt through nation's attics
The 241-year-old reference authority is looking for the oldest complete set in private hands
It tells us that flatulence can be cured by blowing smoke through the anus, devotes 40 pages to the diseases of horses and informs the reader that homo sapiens is divided into five varieties: "the American, the European, the Asiatic, the African and the monstrous". It is of course the first ever Encyclopaedia Britannica, released in 1768, and to celebrate publication of the latest edition its publishers are launching a quest to find the oldest complete set in private hands.
From: Books: Books + News | guardian.co.uk
Friday, 16 October, 2009
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