The gray substance of the medulla oblongata and trapezium 1864

This is a page from a book titled "The Gray Substance of the Medulla Oblongata and Trapezium," by John Dean, M.D. The composition is split, with the left side of the image almost completely white, forming a stark contrast against the graying, aged page on the right. This page is dominated by a rectangular frame which contains the title and author of the study, organized vertically, line after line. The materiality of the paper—its discoloration, the slight undulation of the page, and the foxing around the edges—reveals the impact of time and environment, underscoring how historical context influences our reading. The typography, spare and utilitarian, suggests a focus on scientific communication rather than aesthetic display. This work, therefore, operates within a scientific paradigm, aiming to catalog and codify knowledge through a visual, textual structure. The contrast in the page's colour serves as a metaphor for how knowledge is produced and organized.