CÉLINE (Louis-Ferdinand). La Vie et l'œuvre de Philippe Ignace Semmelweis (1818-1865). Rennes, Francis Simon, 1924. In-8, paperback. Very rare and sought-after first edition of Céline's doctoral thesis in medicine, defended in Paris on 1 May 1924 under the supervision of Professor Brindeau, and published on a self-publishing basis in only 120 copies, eight years before the publication of Journey to the End of the Night. In the space of a few months, the young doctor Louis Destouches composed this plea in favour of Semmelweis, the Hungarian physician who perceptively diagnosed puerperal fever, blaming it on poor hygiene, and who, having proposed prevention, was classed as a paranoid. The lyricism and poetic style of the text were praised by the members of the jury, and the thesis was awarded a distinction. Céline's autograph on the back cover: À Mr Geoffroy / Bien amicalement / LF Céline. This dedication is most probably addressed to Georges Geoffroy (1890-1994), Céline's former comrade in London, when they were both in the passport service in 1915, shared the same flat at 71 Gower Street, and spent nights in the "French milieu" of Soho. The two men, who had fallen out in 1917, met again in 1932. In 1947, in a letter to Gaby Pirazzoli, Céline wrote: "My friend Georges Geoffroy is a true brother. [...] We have a pact of friendship that has lasted since our stay in London 33 years ago! Attached is an autograph letter from the author signed Destouches to Henri-Albert Mahé dated 21 June 1941 (2 pp. in-8 on the letterhead (crossed out) of Dr L. F. Destouches at the Dispensaire municipal de Bezons): "Dear Mr Mahé, I took the wrong way to go and see you! I thought I'd come back via Retiers at the end of Finistère in a few days' journey, but alas the train mess meant I had to give up at the last minute. I would have needed three days' travel with the trunks! But I'm not giving up. Next month I'll be going to St Malo...". Small and very discreet wetness in the margins of the first few leaves.