ortus sanitatis (1 resultados)

17th century leather binding [28,5 x 20 cm] with gilded element at the center of the front and back covers; with title on gilted spine: Tractat de herbis". In-folio. 360 unnumbered leaves. Text divided into two columns/page (4 columns/page in the case of the register). With over 1050 in-text woodcuts [ca. 11 x 7 cm] and 3 full-page woodcuts. With some decorative margin notes (images of human heads or hands pointing toward a certain paragraph). This very rare Incunable was first published by Jacob Meydenbach in Mainz, in the year 1491 (Hain 8940. GW 13549). Hortus Sanitatis" is a very early natural history encyclopedia, a comprehensive work which explores various species in the natural world, detailing their medicinal uses and methods of preparation. Differing from its predecessors the Latin Herbarius moguntinus" (1484) and the German Gart der Gesundheit" (1485) published by Peter Schöffer, which focused primarily on herbs the Hortus sanitatis" delves into animals, birds, fish, and minerals (stones) as well. Notably, it extends beyond real creatures, incorporating accounts of mythical creatures like dragons, harpies, hydras, myrmecoleons, phoenixes, and zitirons, pegasus. It summarizes all late medieval knowledge on the subject and establishes itself as the "most important natural history work of the Middle Ages" (Choulant). This encompassing work enjoyed great success during the late 15th and early 16th century, particularly thanks to its numerous illustrations, as evidenced by its numerous reissues and translations between 1491 and 1547. The author of the Hortus Sanitatis remains unidentified, despite occasional misattribution to the Frankfurt physician Johann Wonnecke von Kaub (1430 1503), the author of the above mentioned Gart der Gesundheit". This first edition printed by J. Prüss is recognizable by the abbreviation "(o)Mnipote[n]tis eteri[que] dei: toti[us]" (sheet aii recto, second line), while in the second edition, which is otherwise mostly identical, the text reads "( "Mnipote[n]tis eteri[que] dei: totius". Drawing from established medieval encyclopedias like the Liber pandectarum medicinae omnia medicine simplicia continens" by Matthaeus Silvaticus (14th century) and Vincent of Beauvais's Speculum naturale" (13th century), the author crafted this compilation. Additionally, the text on uroscopy at the end of the Hortus sanitatis was adapted from a widely circulated manuscript attributed to "Zacharias de Feltris" or "Bartholomew of Montagna." While an earlier Latin manuscript from 1477 contains the fundamental content of the Hortus sanitatis", initially considered a potential prototype for printing, it is now seen as an independent copy of a Latin manuscript from around the same time. Presented in a dual-column format, this work is structured into 5 sections delineating uncomplicated remedies used in healing various diseases: - "De Herbis," encompassing 530 chapters dedicated to herbs and plants - "De Animalibus", comprising 164 chapters concerning animals - terrestrial creatures - (humans are also included here, in the first chapter: "De homo"). - "De Avibus," consisting of 122 chapters discussing birds - "De Piscibus," containing 106 chapters focusing on fish and sea ( swimming") creatures - "De Lapidibus," involving 144 chapters centered on semi-precious stones, ores, and minerals. - Additionally, it includes an appendix featuring a treatise on uroscopy ( Tractatus de Urinis"). Each chapter, organized into two columns, commences with an illustrative depiction. Subsequently, the text provides a broad overview of the pertinent simple drug, followed by a section titled "operationes," listing its effects on the human body. This constitutes a significant deviation from its earlier versions it lies in the separate treatment of medicinal substances sourced from animals, stones, and metals, each given dedicated sections. For every plant, animal, and stone, their respective healing effects are compiled under specific sections titled "operations." This pioneering approach was later widely replicated across various works. The book is adorned with numerous woodcuts (approx. 1050 small ones and 3 full-page ones), some of them very interesting depictions of medicinal plants (for example, the illustration for Mandragora officinarum is a personified image of the plant, where the plant's trunk is depicted as a naked human body; the one of the plant name Narcissus" - the daffodil has some human-like figures coming out of the flowers most likely a reference to the myth of Narcissus; the illustration for the Upas tree, thought to have some narcotic properties, shows two men laying under the tree, in someting akin to the sleep of death"). Other interesting depictions include the Tree of Life, the unicorn and the mermaid. There are also woodcuts depicting scenes, sometimes of people practicing various professions or preparing butter, cheese, or bread, often highly imaginative images. Even though a lot of the woodcuts are come from the German Herbarius moguntinus, nearly one third of the herbal illustrations are new. The larger woodcuts are: the one that opens the text; the one before the chapter De Animalibus" and the one that opens the last chapter Tractatus de Urinis". Binding slightly rubbed, some pages with some staining on the outer margins of the leaves, some leaves slightly restored on the lower outer corners (no loss of text or illustrations); some pages with some minor ink lines/notes on the margins of the text. 6 leaves in the "De Animalibus" part (in the foliation with signature mark "F") most likely washed and hence slightly brighter in color. The same 6 leaves partly slightly stained. A complete, very well-preserved copy of this very important and richly illustrated incunabula. Very rare in this condition. You can see more pictures of the book on our own website. Hain-Copinger 8941. GW 13550. Goff H-487. Klebs 509.3. Schreiber 4248. Schramm XX, Abb. 1495-1608. Procto.