Miscellanea Alchemica XXVII

Collection of alchemical and Rosicrucian tracts, alchemical and iatro-chemical receipts, etc. Written mostly in German by several hands, with a few entries in French and one in Italian. There are a few rough pen-drawn symbolic illustrations, some coloured, and figures of alchemical apparatus, etc. Notes: No. 1 Was first printed at Leipzig in 1787. This MS. version seems to be a variant, e.g. the probably fictitious date of the original is here given as 1468, whereas in the printed copy it is 1458. In the latter, the editor refers to 'Der Güldene Begriff (No. 3 in this MS.), but states that he has not seen it (cf. the printed edition 'Vorbericht des Ausgebers', p. viii). [Cf. Ferguson 'Bibliotheca Chemica', Vol. II, p. 336.] Nos. 6, 7 These were printed together at Frankfort and Leipzig in 1737. Here there are also variations in this MS., as in the printed book J. G. Toeltius has an editorial preface headed: Christliche Unterrichtung. The title of No. 7 is also slightly different. It is to be noted also that the 'Anmerckungen' (pp. 25-45 of No. 5) do not correspond with the printed copies. Nos. 8, 10 The author is possibly the Paul Wilhem von Meerheim, who wrote 'Reise-Beschreibung nach denen ... Indianischen Inseln' Erlangen and Leipzig-1753. This was an allegorical novel on the search for the Stone. [Cf. Ferguson ibid. Vol. II, p. 85.] No. 13 According to the B.M. Catalogue the author's name was 'Fioraventi calling himself Marquis de Damis'. No. 18 An extract from Schwaertzer's 'Chrysopoeia', written in 1584 for the Elector Augustus of Saxony [1526-1586], but not published until 1718 at Hamburg. [Cf. Ferguson ibid. Vol. II, pp. 349-351.] No. 19 Trismosin's 'Aureum vellus' was first published at Rorschach in 1598.

c. 1735

1 volume 768 ll. 4to. 20 × 16 1/2 cm. Original calf binding, lettered on the spine 'De lapide philosoph[orum] Manu Scripta'. No. 20 is on paper of smaller size (14 1/2 × 16 cm.), and bound in wrong order.

Purchased 1933.

Armorial book-plate of Ignatius Dominicus, Comes de Chorinsky [1729-1792].

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).