Blackburn: Printed by R. Wood, in the Market-place, 1823

12mo, pp. 72 (actually 60pp. but mispaginated, with no pp. 13-24, and no reference to pp. 13-24 in index). Rebound complete in grey modern boards, title label printed in black to front panel. Uncut. Contents toned and stained, and with occasional loss to margins, but a well preserved copy bound complete in modern boards.

First edition of this very well preserved, and very rare, one-way ticket to diabetes.

According to a preface by the author present only in later editions, W.S. Stavely was a male, professional Confectioner, who had 'frequently given ten to thirty shillings for a single receipt [recipe]. The methods he now recommends, which are from real experience, in London, Manchester, Bath, and many other towns, besides an extensive practice in different Gentlemen's families, will, if introduced into general use, be a saving of THIRTY POUNDS a year.'

This, the first edition, has a helpfully unmissable issue point: the pagination jumps from p.12 to p.25. The pages are not missing; the index makes no reference to them. Later editions corrected Mr. R. Wood's howler and are correctly paginated (60pp.). The pamphlet quickly ran through many editions -- by 1830 the eleventh edition was being published in Derby -- but the precise publication history is confusing. COPAC lists a 'second edition' of 1815, printed for the author, but on inspection the copy bears no publication date; the British Library copy is of this edition -- the first -- and theirs is the only copy held by a UK institution.