Prospero

1591 · ref. 942P35 — Venetiis: Franciscis Senensem 1591. First edition. Hardback. Good Only. 10" by 7". Not Stated. The first edition of this important work on Egyptian medicine by Prosper Alpini a very scarce work. The very scarce first edition. Title page is in the second state with the correct "scarificationes" and lines seven and eight ending "chyrurgi-" and "apud" respectively. In the original Latin.Illustrated with seven woodcuts two of which are full-paged.Register runs as: a-c4 A-S8 T6.Collated bound without the index which was printed to V-X4 Aa4 and Bb6.'De Medicina Aegyptiorum' is considered to be the first important work on the history of Egyptian medicine and one of the first European studies on non-Western medicine. A pioneering and important text.This work contains the first known description of the coffee plant published in Europe as well as descriptions of moxibustion which Alpini introduced to European medicine. Additionally this text introduces a number of plant species previously unknown to Europe such as Abrus Abelmoschus Lablab Melochia and the Baobab tree. Alpini wrote this work based on his observations made during a three year sojourn in Egypt. He was a physician and botanist from Venice and set off on his travels to Egypt in 1580. In the original boards. Externally worn. Boards are discoloured with handling marks. A small amount of loss to the spine and with lifting to the head. Ink to the spine. Hinges are tender. Internally binding is tender in places. Pages are lightly age-toned and generally clean with scattered spots and handling marks. The occasional small patch of worming to the textblock though with no loss to the text. Good Only Franciscis Senensem hardcover