Silvaticus, Matthaeus.

Liber pandectarum medicinae.

      [Strasbourg, Adolf Rusch, c. 1480]. - Folio (240:345 mm). 307 ff. (instead of 308, wanting first blank; counter-leaf [1]6 trimmed close to the two paragraphs of text, with ms. 17th-c. note on reverse). Collation: [1]6, [2]8, [3-7]10, [8]8, [9-10]10, [11-12]8, [13]10, [14-16]8, [17]6, [18]10, [19-22]8, [23]6, [24-28]8, [29-30]10, [31-32]8, [33]10, [34-36]8. 2 columns, 55 lines. Type 2:100G. Rubricated throughout; 3- to 8-line red lombardic initials. Restored early 16th-c. blindstamped pigskin binding (modern endpapers). Very early edition of Matthaeus Silvaticus's pharmacological "magnum opus", first printed in Naples in 1474 and dedicated to King Robert of Sicily. The printer is commonly referred to as "the R-Printer" and has been identified as Adolf Rusch. - This compendium on Greek and Arabic medical works constitutes one of the most important pharmacological writings of the 14th century; it treats principal sources such as Dioscurides, Galenus, Rhazes, Plinius, Hippocrates, etc. - "Silvaticus is regarded as one of the most important botanists and pharmacologists of the middle ages. His work is mainly a splendid compilation of the writings of earlier physicians. Subjects are arranged alphabetically, making the whole a kind of dictionary. The work's greatest value lies in its explanations of numerous technical terms from all fields of medicine, especially of various Arabic terms" (cf. Hirsch/H.). Silvaticus had made several scientific expeditions to collect his material; he later setteld in Salerno, where he designed a botanical garden. - Binding professionally restored using the original pigskin material.; hinges beginning to split. Significant worming to roll-tooled covers; further strong worming to second flyleaf (watermark: triple mount with cross) and first leaves of text (index; carefully restored with Japanese paper); slight worming to inner margins of last pages. Ten-line ms. dedication written on former pastedown laid down on the new one: according to it, the Silesian pharmacologist Fabian Ilg donated the volume to the library of Brzeg in 1604. A few contemp. ms. marginalia; altogether a fresh, well-preserved copy. As the perfectly spaced, complete ms. notes on the reverse of the trimmed last index leaf prove, the trimming of the unprinted parts of the page was done in the 17th century at the latest. HC 15192. Goff S-514. BMC I:64. BSB-Ink S-392. Proctor 251. ISTC is00514000. [Attributes: Hard Cover]