Cahiers chimiques

A collection of notes, extracts and short treatises on alchemical, chemical and medical subjects: including numerous medical and technical receipts for varnishes, dyes, artificial gems, etc. In French, with a few entries in Latin, and some additions by later hands. Pp. 1-12 Ribola (Petrus). De facultate metallorum germinatrice secundum Hermeticos. [Originally printed in Burggräv's 'Biolychnia'. 1611]. 373-416 [Anon]. Traité sur l'Élixir ou Pierre Philosophalle. [Account of an alleged transmutation made in 1599]. 421-439 La Magdelaine (de). Oeuvre: traduit de l'Italien. 453-477 Deshunnelières. Deux opérations pour la transmutation métallique. 677-701 [Anon]. Remarques sur la Métamorphose. 721-756 [Anon]. Procédé sur la Pierre Philosophale: plus des caractères et nature des métaux, sels, et autres minéraux les plus usitez. The transcriber adds below this title 'Il y a beaucoup des choses tronqueés en ce manuscrit'. 757-834 Basilius Valentinus. Les Conclusions de tous les Traitez de Frère Bazile Valentin: autrement dit ses Tours de main, ou Manifestation de ses Secrets. (Followed on p. 793 by) Quatrième livre du Testament. On p. 461, a note, added probably by another hand, is dated 1756. Inside the upper cover is a woodcut Ex-libris of 'N[icolas] P[ierre] Ledru [1731-1807] cognominati Comus'. This French physician was renowned for his scientific experiments and inventions, and is probably the writer of the medical receipts, and some notes of cases included in this collection. Most of them are lightly crossed through, and have apparently been extracted and copied into another volume. [Cf. p. 89, p. 310].

c. 1725

1 volume 834 pp. + 22 ll. 8vo. 181/2 x 111/2 cm. Original vellum binding, with paper label rubbed, lettered as above. Pp. 565-632 are wanting. Some headings and titles in red. A few of the longer entries have separate pagination within the main pagination.

Purchased at Sotheby's 22/12/1927, Lot 1,000.

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).