Text in double columns. Woodcut initials & woodcut device on last page. 124 leaves. Folio, modern binding using old vellum boards with new spine, corners, & endpapers (several small diminishing wormholes in the first few leaves, lower blank corner of title-page damaged & neatly restored). Venice: Giunta, 1521.

Sixth edition (the first five are all incunables) of the Practica or Lilium medicinae, the principal work of one of the medical luminaries of the Middle Ages. Bernard of Gordon (ca. 1258-1318), of Scottish descent but born in France, was a professor at Montpellier from 1283 to 1307. He spent his entire teaching career at Montpellier and... More

Twelve full-page woodcuts & numerous woodcuts in the text. 36 folding leaves. Two parts in one vol. 8vo, orig. blue wrappers (wrappers rubbed & somewhat wormed), orig. block-printed title label on upper cover no longer present, modern stitching. “Ichijo-dori” [a street in Kyoto]: Tomikura Tahei, 1690.

First edition of this early and rare book providing prescriptions for treatments in the different stages of tuberculosis. The author describes ten drugs made from vegetables that give miraculous results in treating the disease. The second part, entitled “Mujo Gengen santen shinden gyokudo shoshi chiden shirochu soho,” describes the parasitic worms said to grow in the stomach and... More

A number of illus. & maps. Six vols. 8vo (280 x 190 mm.), stitched. Japan: 1848-63.

During the time of Japan’s official policy of strict isolationism in the first half of the 19th century, the bakufu (the shogun’s bureaucracy) and many private citizens became increasingly alarmed by the frequent foreign intrusions. Dissatisfaction with the weakened bakufu system of government and social unrest, caused by famine, earthquakes, and disease, exacerbated many citizens’ concerns.

The present collection of manuscripts, written in a number of hands, is an example of the Japanese genre kenbunroku (“notes on what I have seen and heard”). They clearly... More

16 unnumbered leaves. Small 4to, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards (lightly browned), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Mulhouse: A. Hantzsch for O. von Riswick, 1596.

First edition of this rare work on dysentery; WorldCat locates only the NLM copy in North America. Wittich (1537-96), was court and city physician to the counts of Schwarzburg in Arnstadt. He wrote many other medical books.

In this work, Wittich provides a careful description of the syndrome. He makes numerous recommendations regarding diet and drink. There are several chapters regarding the treatment of children who have dysentery. The final 12 pages contain pharmaceutical recipes. More