Milestones of Science Books

LIBAVIUS, Andreas.

Rerum chymicarum epistolica forma ad philosophos et medicos [...] liber primus-secundus. 2 parts in 1 vol.

Frankfurt am Main: Johann Saur & Petrus Kopff, 1595.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Good. Item #002086

8vo (164x101 mm). [32], 300, [4]; [32], 615 [1] pp. Signatures: *8 **8 A-T8; ?8 ??8 a-z8 Aa-Pp8 Qq4. Printer's device woodcut to title-page of both parts and leaf T7r of part 1, final blank T8 in part 1 and ??8 in part 2 present. Contemporary vellum, spine titled in manuscript (browned and soiled), red-dyed edges. Internally little browned and spotted throughout, title page with closed tears (without loss of text), leaves *7, *8, **3, A4-5, and C2 with old paper repair at lower margin (affecting text on *8 and A5), small holes in leaves *2, *7, **1, **3, **5, **8, A8, B3-5, B8 and M8 affecting a few letters in **3, **5, B4-5 and B8, small dampstains in margins, occasional paper flaws at lower margin. Still good copy, complete with the two blanks. Old ink stamp "CP" on p.615. ----

Adams L639; Ferguson II, pp.32/33; Duveen, p.355; DSB VIII, p.309-12. - Libavius (c.1560-1616) "can be regarded as one of the founders of chemical analysis... his books were used by many adepts of chemistry throughout most of the seventeenth century" (DSB). Despite the breadth of his influence Duveen states all his works are rare. A third part of Rerum chymicarum was published in 1599.

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