The first history of chemistry / by John Ferguson.

  • John Ferguson
Date:
[1886]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The first history of chemistry / by John Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    10/18 (page 10)
    16mo, no pagination, signatures A—F in eights, or 48 leaves in all. Printed in italics throughout. This edition is quoted in the Biographic Universelle and the JVouvelle Biographic Ge'ne'rale, by Lebreton and Frere, by Watt (Bibl. Brit., II. 809e), and by Kopp (Beitrdge 1867, p. 322). There is a copy in the British Museum, but it is a book of the greatest rarity, as it has possibly been easily destroyed in con- sequence of its tiny dimensions. 2. —1591. According to Ladrague (Bibliolheque Ouvaroff, Sciences Secretes, Moscow, 1870, p. 56, No. 546), the first edition appeared, Lugduni, 1591. This is an obvious mistake. Evidently there is no copy of a 1591 edition in the Ouvaroff collection, for Ladrague's statement is appended as a note to the reprint contained in the Tlieatvum Chemicum of 1613. Ladrague may have made some confusion, for he is not always correct about the dates of first editions ; but it is possible that there was an issue two years earlier of the book which is next on the list. Anyhow, I have seen no copy, and no other mention of a 1591 edition except the present. 3. —1593. De Veritate Et Antiqvitate Artis Chemicae Et Pvlveris Sive Medicinse Philosophorvm Vel Avri Potabilis, Deque illius materia & compositione, eiusque mira vi in tria rerum genera Animale, Vegetale & Minerale, Testimonia Et Theoremata, ex variis auctoribus sacris, Theologis, Iurisperitis, Medicis, Philosophis, & Poetis, per Robertvm Vallensem selecta. Lvgdvni Batavorvm, Ex Officina Plantiniana, Apud Franciscum Raphelengium. clo.Io.xcm. Small 8vo, pp. 46, and 2 blank. This edition is well known. It is referred to by Draudius (Bibliotheca Classica, Francofurti, 1625, p. 899); by Zedler {Universal-Lexicon, Leipzig, 1745, Bd. 46, col. 380); by Gmelin (Geschichte der Chemie, Gottingen, 1797, I. p. 297); by Watt (Bibl. Brit., II. 809e). It is in the British Museum. 4. —1600. According to Draudius (Bibliotheca Classica, Francofurti, 1625, p. 899) the tract was reprinted Basilece apud Ludou. Kcenig, 8. 1600. Lenglet Dufresnoy (Histoire de la Philosophic Hermetique, Paris, 1742, T. III. p. 319) has repeated this statement omitting the place, and Schmieder simply gives the date, without either place or printer's name. I have not seen a copy of this edition. 5. —1601. De Arte Chemica Libri Dvo, Quibus omnia, qua; ad lapidis siue pulueris philosophici compositionem vsumque spectant, breuiter & apert6 traduntur. Qvorvm Prior De veritate & antiquitate artis Chemica; & pulueris siue medicina; Philosophorum vel auri potabilis Testimonia & Theoremata ex varijs autoribus per Robertvm Vallensem selecta. Posterior. loan. Chrysippi Faniani de arte metallica> metamorphoseos liber singularis. Item de lure Artis Alchemia; veterum auctorum & pivesertim Iurisconsulctorum Iudicia & responsa