Milestones of Science Books

GADDESDEN, John of.

Rosa anglica practica medicine : a capite ad pedes noviter impressa & perq[uam] diligentissime emendata.

Venice: Octaviani Scotus for Boneto Locatellus, 1502.

2nd Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #003380

Folio (314 x 208 mm). 135, [1] leaves. Signatures: a-r⁸ (r8=blank). Publisher's device with initials O.S.M. at foot of leaf r7v. Colophon with imprint and full date: "Anno salutifere Incarnatio[n]is D[omi]nice. Secu[n]do supra. Millesimu[m] q[ui]nge[n]tesimu[m]q[ue]. Decimo sexto Kalen. Ianuarias." Woodcut initials. Contemporary blind-tooled and ruled calf over wooden boards, original brass catches preserved (rebacked with new blind-stamped polished calf, some wear to board extremities, joints newly repaired). Text only little browned and soiled at margins, some light dampstains to bottom margin of first c. 50 leaves, title and first 38 leaves with old paper repairs of tears and paper defects at bottom blank margin, a single small wormhole running through several gatherings, scribbled ink lettering to title verso, a few early ink marginalia elsewhere. Provenance: early neat ownership inscriptions on title; John D. Jackson of Danville KY (inscription and 1878 portrait photograph on front pastedown, a newspaper clipping regarding John D. Jackson by Oliver Wendell Holmes dated Dec. 16, 1875 laid in); 19th-century library stamp (illegible, on blank renewed lower margin of title); James Tait Goodrich. In all still a very good copy in contemporary binding. ----

RARE SECOND EDITION (1st Pavia 1492) OF THE FIRST PRINTED MEDICAL BOOK BY AN ENGLISH WRITER, edited by Niccolo Scillacio. John of Gaddesden, Master of Medicine at Merton College, Oxford, supposedly the first personal physician to be employed at the English court during the reign of Edward II, wrote the Rosa Anglica between 1305 and 1307. Gaddesden was quite famous; so he probably became the model for Chaucer's "Doctor of Physic"; in the prologue of the Canterbury Tales he mentions him along with the great Greeks and Arabs of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Bernard of Gordon's work was extensively used by John, as were those of Gilbertus Anglicus, Avicenna, Hally Abbas and Averroes. The "compendium of practical medicine" is arranged according to diseases, starting with fevers, diseases of the head, eyes, ears and mouth with interesting chap. to dentistry. The antidotarium at the end is important, here the author has collected everything that came to his ears. The work therefore offers an insight into English folk medicine and also into the superstitions at the beginning of the 14th century. It is also a mixture of various medical theories and teachings together with folk remedies and religious practices. References: Adams J-281; NLM/Durling 2607; Garrison-Morton 2191; Heirs of Hipporates 105. - Visit our website to see more images!

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