Basilius Valentinus

Le char de triomphe de l'antimoine. Traduit en françois du latin. Some rough drawings in red chalk of alchemical apparatus, etc. have been inserted on small slips facing ff. 130, 153, 159, 190, 198. On fol. 124v is a note of a case of dropsy cured in 1665 by the use of an antimonial remedy, written by the translator who seems to have been a medical man, as there are many other notes on the medical value of this substance. On fol. 127v there is an account of a (chemical) 'opération' performed in 1660. Extracts from the Commentary by Theodor Kerckring are written on the versos, and facing the first leaf is a title 'Commentaire de Théodore Kerckringius sur le Char de Triomphe de l'Antimoine de Basile Valentine'. The writings on the versos seem to be somewhat later than those of the main text.

c. 1660

1 volume 7 ll. first 5 bl.. + 232 ff. + 11 bl. ll. 4to. 21 x 161/2 cm. Original vellum binding. Both ties wanting. Margins slightly cropped. Written for the most part on the rectos only.

Purchased 1908.

The translator's name may be Cotet - of whom no record has been found, but 'Cotet traductio' is inscribed in the upper margin of the title noted above.

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).