Boncambiis, Julius de

Libro lettera O. A collection of alchemical, chemical and medical receipts, processes, and 'secrets': in Italian and Latin. Compiler's holograph MS., with some entries by another hand. Illustrated with a few rough pen-drawings of alchemical apparatus, etc., and on fol. 1v., fol. 57v and fol. 68 with full-page symbolic drawings. On the first leaf is a pen-drawn coat of arms, and below within a decorated panel 'Julius Comes de Boncambiis de Perusia'. The receipts, etc. are mainly alchemical, but include entries on glass-making and artificial gems. Among the longer entries are: Ff. 1-67 Annotationes circa medicinam universalem, seu Aurum potabile et Lapidem physicum. Liber primus [et secundus]. Authore ononimo [sic]. 252-277 Il modo nel quale si possono fare Fiore d'ogni sorte simili alle naturale et caurale da ogni sorte de metalli, et da ogni pietra, et fare smala d'ogni colore, e mosaico, et tingere vetri per vitriate con bellissimi modi di contrafar le perle e coralli... 335v-367v La corona della rossa Croce. Begins: Quello che sà fare la Pietra con il Mercury Ends:...e cosi la pietra è/fatta del Mercury solo. 413-419 Positiones de complemento artificii philosophici vel Magisterio Hermetis. 443v-458 Lapis del quinternetto del Pietro Rossi. Inscribed inside the lower cover: 'Il Signor Claudio Scipioni Avignonese, Procuratore in Roma è virtuosissimo in Alchimia'. Produced in Perugia.

c. 1700

1 volume 1 l. + 460 ff. + 2 ll. + 4to. 191/2 x 131/2 cm. Original vellum binding.

Purchased 1911.

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).

Alchemical symbols for planets and metals in Moorat's catalogue description have been replaced with the name of the corresponding metal (in English).