German medical recipe book, late 16th/early 17th century

  • Hanns Stiebar
Date:
1590-1663
Reference:
MS.8513
  • Archives and manuscripts

About this work

Description

Medical recipe book (Arzney Buech) of the Stieber family of Krollendorf, Lower Austria, containing hundreds of medical recipes in a fair copy redaction begun in the year 1590. All the recipes appear to be in the hand of Hans Stieber, who tells us (f. 3) that his main source are the books of his 'beloved father', until f. 150 where the first of several later hands takes over. The latest date recorded is 1663 (f. 155v.). The recipes have headings in red until f. 47v. , where red gives way to black, and Stieber's hand becomes generally more cursive. There is no discernible system of arrangement of the recipes although cures for similar complaints naturally tend to cluster together. There is no list of contents or index.

Medical authorities named include Paracelsus (ff. 6v., 15, 45, 61v.), Dr Joachim Schiller (f.22v.), Dr Bartolomew Carzichter (f.26), Franz Prunder, the town physician of Strasbourg (f.45v.), and Dr Bartholomew von ?? Lay authorities include Archduke Charles of Austria (f.26), Barbara von Saurau (ff.31, 45), Count Philip zu Jezstain (f.36v.), Archduke Johann Friedrich of Saxony (f.38v.), as well as various housewives, who were presumably acquaintances or neighbours, such as Frau Zinzendorff (f. 53v.)

Mainly German, with some Latin.

Publication/Creation

1590-1663

Physical description

169 ff. (original foliation 1-136, 139-151 and unnumbered); ff.156-167 blank. 1 volume: 310 x 210 mm. Limp vellum covers made from a reused parchment leaf from an unidentified religious manuscript.

Contributors

Acquisition note

Purchased from Roger Gaskell Rare Books, 2007

Biographical note

Hanns Stiebar, or Stieber, was the son of Casper Stieber, of Schloss Krollendorf, near Amstetten in Lower Austria. The Stiebers were a knighted family of Franconian origin who came to Austria in the early 16th century.

Ownership note

The manuscript was formerly in the library of Schloss Krollendorf (bookplate).

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
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Identifiers

Accession number

  • 1512