Brookes was probably a physician and the author of other books on medicine. The medical uses of minerals and animals are considered in his New System.

Biographical references: Allibone, Dictionary of English Literature, 1859-71. • BBA: I 52, 38-43. • Waller, Dictionary of Universal Biography, 1857-63. • Watt, Bibliotheca Britannica, 1824. • WBI.

1. English, 1763 [First edition].
[General title page reads:] A | New and Accurate | System | of | Natural History; | Containing | I. The History of Quadrupedes, including Amphibious | Animals, Frogs, and Lizards, with their Properties and | Uses in Medicine. | II. The History of Birds, with the Method of bringing up | those of the singing Kind. | III. The History of Fishes and Serpents, including | Sea-Turtles, Crustaceous and Shell-Fishes; with their me- | dicinal Uses. | IV. The History of Insects, with their Properties and Uses | in Medicine. | V. The History of Waters, Earths, Stones, Fossils, | and Minerals; with their Virtues, Properties, and | Medicinal Uses; To which is added, the Method | in which Linnæus has treated the Subjects. | VI. The History of Vegetables, as well Foreign as Indige- | nous, including an Account of the Roots, Barks, Woods, | Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Seeds, Resins, Gums, and con- | creted Juices; as also their Properties, Virtues, and Uses | in Medicine; together with the Method of cultivating | those planted in Gardens. | By R. Brookes, M.D. | Author of the General Practice of Physic. | In Six Volumes. | London: | Printed for J. Newbery, at the Bible and Sun, in | St. Paul's Church-Yard. | MDCCLXIII.

The | Natural History | of | Waters and Earths, | of | Stones, Fossils, | and | Minerals. | Including The | Observations of Linnæus | on those subjects. | With Their | Properties and Uses in Medicine. | [rule] | By R. Brookes, M.D. | Author of the General Practice of Physic, &c. | [rule] | Volume V. | [rule] | The Second Edition, Corrected. | [double rule] | London, | Printed for T. Carnan and F. Newbery, jun. | at Number 65, in St. Paul's Church-Yard. | MDCCLXIII.

6 vols. [Vol 1: 1763] 12°: [1]-8, [ix]-xliii, [1], [1]-374, [10] p., ?? plates. (Quadrapeds). [Vol 2: 1763] 12°: [i]-xx, [1]-460, [i]-xvi p., ?? plates. (Birds). [Vol 3: 1763] 12°: [i]-xxi, [1], [1]-408, [12] p., ?? plates. (Fishes). [Vol 4: 1763] 12°: [i]-xv, [1], [1]-360, [12] p., ?? plates. (Insects). [Vol 5: 1763] 12°: [i]-vi, [i]-xliii, [1], [1]-364, [14] p., ?? plates (Minerals). [Vol 6: 1763] 12°: [i]-xii, [1]-437, [1], [i]-x p., ?? plates. (Botany). Page size: 170 x 100 mm.

Contents: [Vol 1] [1-2], General title page, verso blank.; [3-4], Title page, verso blank.; [5]-8, "The | Contents."; [ix]-xxiv, "The | Preface."; xxv-xliii, "Introduction."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-374, Text.; [10 pgs], The | Index."

[Vol 2] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; iii-v, "Contents."; [vi], Blank.; vii-x, "Table | To The | Plates of Birds."; xi-xx, "Introduction | Of | Birds in General."; [1]-460, Text.; [i]-xvi, "Index."

[Vol 3] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; iii-v, "Contents."; [vi], Blank.; vii-x, "Table | To The | Plates of Birds."; xi-xxi, "Introduction | To The | History of Fishes."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-408, Text.; [12 pgs], "Index."

[Vol 4] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; iii, "Contents."; [iv], Blank.; [v]-vi, "Table | To The | Plates of Insects."; vii-xv, "Introduction | To The | History of Insects."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-360, Text.; [12], "Index | Of The | English Names."

[Vol 5] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; iii-iv, "Contents."; [v]-vi, "Table to the Plates | of | Minerals and Fossils."; [i]-xliii, "The | Prefatory | Introduction."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-364, Text.; [14 pgs], "The | Index."

[Vol 6] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; iii, "Contents."; [iv]-xii, "Introduction | of Botany in General."; [1]-437, Text.; [1 pg], Blank.; [i]-x, "Index | of the | English Names."

Very scarce. A very popular series, this is a comprehensive encyclopedia of natural history, contemporary but independent of Buffon's Histoiré Naturelle, which was started in 1763. Illustrated with 145 engravings, each showing several figures, Brooke extracts from the works of previous authors in his descriptions of the realms of nature, most notably Linnaeus. The introduction to volume one tells that the author had traveled to Africa and America, and that the work utilizes the systems of Ray and Linnaeus. The fifth volume is devoted to the earth and objects found within, and includes studies of minerals, fossils, volcanoes, earthquakes and magnets, which is illustrated with engraved plates. Brookes basically follows the theories of Linneaus in his description of how minerals are classified.

The set has the following volume titles: Vol 1. Quadrupeds, Vol 2. Birds, Vol 3. Fishes and Serpents, Vol 4. Insects, Vol 5. Water, Earths, Stones, Fossils, Vol 6. Botany.

3rd edition, 1790: A New and Accurate System of Natural History. Third edition, corrected. London, MDCCXC. 6 vols. [Vol 1] 408 p.; [Vol 2] 317 p.; [Vol 3] 258 p.; [Vol 4] 324 p.; [Vol 5] 312 p.; [Vol 6] 322 p. Black and white illustrations are scattered through out the volumes. The fifth volume describes earths, stones, fossils, and minerals.

Bibliographical references: Bernard Quaritch, Bookseller: cat. 1001, no. 8. • Freeman, Natural Science Books in English, 19??: no. 505. • Nissen (ZBI): no. 598. • NLM 18th Century Books (Blake): p. 66. • Wellcome Catalog (Books): 2, 246.