[Medical illustrations and technique; 19th-century graphic procedures and their suitability fo scientific...

For a publisher of a scientific journal around 1850 there were various possibilities with regard to illustration technique. The ultimate choice was determined by considerations of necessity, clarity but particularly also, price. In the Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde the last-mentioned aspect appears to have been very weighty, especially in the beginning. Newly introduced techniques permitting better detail were often applied relatively late and infrequently. Photography proved to be an important aid in illustrating, although the printed reproduction was initially primitive and of poor quality. Improvement of the financial situation of the Journal was immediately reflected in an increase of the number of illustrations.