The court before which any action for the recovery of any sum or balance due on account, and where the matter at issue and on trial is a proper and usual subject of charge on books of account, may require either party to produce, at the trial, either his ledger or original book of entries, or both; and no disputed account shall be allowed upon the oath of the party, when it shall appear that he has a book of original entries, unless such book shall be produced upon reasonable request.