Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849. Mesmerism "in Articulo Mortis." (London: Short & Co., 8, King Street, Bloomsbury, 1846).

Originally issued as a modest pamphlet, this early edition of one of Poe's classic horror stories was elegantly bound by an early admirer. Because the binding has been severely damaged, a conservator will remove it, returning the item to its original state of issue and retaining the binding as historical evidence of its use.

Proposed treatment: Remove pages from binding. Wash, deacidify and mend pages. Rebind in limp paper cover and house in box with fragments of original leather binding.

Estimated cost of treatment: $835