Medical bibliography. A and B / [James Atkinson].

  • Atkinson, James, 1759-1839.
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical bibliography. A and B / [James Atkinson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/404 (page 22)
    '12 London, l'2mo. 1644, The Interpretation of Dreams, in 5 books, ^ lOtii edition, with the Life. [Rouen, \'2nw. 1654, JugemensAstronoiniques, desSonges, tra- ducts parCii.Fontaine,plus, Aug. Niphe sur les Augures, &c. Be Urinis.—Ilaller. Dreams have strange effect upon the urine and urinary organs. London, 12/no. 1690, Interpr. Franequeree, Svo. 1/0/, Cum emend. Lambcrti Bos, castigatis Cornarii erroribus. Lipsia, Svo. 1805, 2 vol. Artemidori Oneirocritica, recen- suit animadvers. integris N. Rigaltii et J. T. Reiskii, suisque illustravit: Indices adjecit, lo. Goth. Reiff.—A liuicli more correct Edition than the two former.—Brunet. Vide Astrampsychi Foema Oneirocriti- con. Astrampsychus was the name of one of the Persian Magi; but our Astrampsychus is supposed to have been a more recent author. Achmetus’s relation of the Egyptian, Indian, and Persian construction of dreams was also added, by Rigaltius, to Artemidorus’s Oneirocritica. So that, upon the whole, we may have as beautiful an assemblage of human credulity and weakness, in these books, as the wildest fancy can anticipate. I could affect something more about these dreams. I feel the maggots crawling, “ ventre a terre,” at a very great pace through the crypts of my fancy; but “ prudence doth press me.” Harles does not allow of the existence of some of the editions ; for instance, “ Quit? enim vidit libros ejus de Auguriis et de manuum inspectioneof which, the Aldus’ edition of 1527 has been declared as one in the Catalogus Universalis. “Quis tres editiones Venetas Artemidori graecas,” in 4to., i. e. 1518, 1527, 1529, or a Spanish edition, from Lugdunum, 1609 ?—Therefore we must not give credit to the two reput- ed books, “ de Auguriis et manuum inspectione.” Harles takes no notice of the French, English, German, Italian, or Spanish edi- tions, as being very imperfect and worthless. There are codices in Venice, at Na- ples, in the Bodleian Library, in that of Caius College, Sec., as vide Fabricius, and Haller. Artemidorus wrote five Books, de Somniis. The two first on Oneirocritica, sive divinationem, &c. The third, also, addressed to Cassius (or Claudius, as Bayle sur- mises,) Maximus, Philalethis, so stiled.—The fourth containing, other new Para- lipomena; which together constitute the four first Books of Oneirocriticon. The fifth being added to the above, contains the narration of about one hundred dreams, with their consequences. Artemidorus has great confidence in his own seriousness and honesty, lest “ Sic adeo, ut in veritatis narratione nugax deprehendar”—no fear of this. Artemidorus does not scruple to assert that God, or Jupiter, had inspired him to undertake, and to investigate the subject of dreams; or, that he had, as the Methodist parsons usually affect,—“a call,”—perhaps a dream ! He requests that posterity shall rather compose a new work, than presume to alter his. “ Nunc vero prtesens rei necessitas, quod non solum in nostram, sed etiam eorum qui post victuri sunt homines utilitatem se extendit, me adeo impulit, ut neque cunctand- um, neque ulterius differendum opus censeam, sed de ea quibus per experientiam compertum habeo, conscribam.”—In other words, the devil is in me, and must be out.” Blumenbach infers, that the German translations of this book, gave rise to all the vulgar publications on dreams. I rather apprehend however, that persons had their dreams of all sorts, before Artemidorus was in being.