Pedanius Dioscorides (40-90 ACE) was a Greek pharmacologist, physician, and botanist, renowned for his seminal five-volume pharmacopoeia on herbal medicines and related medicinal substances, written in Greek between 50-70 ACE, and widely read for 1 500 years, eclipsing even the Hippocratic Corpus.
Dioscorides was born in Anazarbus, Cilicius (modern-day Türkiye), and likely studied medicine in Tarsus (having dedicated his work to Laecanius Arius, a medical practitioner there). He travelled extensively with the Roman army under Emperor Nero, allowing him to study plants, minerals, and other medicinal substances across the eastern Mediterranean. His Roman name, Pedanius, was possibly acquired through citizen sponsorship.
The indexed text describes the various medicinal properties, preparations and uses of 600 plants, including cannabis, colchicum, water hemlock, and peppermint, as well as animal and mineral substances like milk, honey, mercury, arsenic, and copper compounds, including surgical anaesthetics derived from opium and mandragora.
Medieval translations into Latin, with commentaries, were published by the noted physicians / botanists: Jean Ruel (1516); Janus Cornarius (1529 & 1549), Pietro Mathioli (1554), and finally, this 1598 edition by Jean Antoine Sarrasin (1547-1598), doctor in Lyon.
Sarrasen’s edition of De Materia Medica was published in Frankfurt through Andreas Wechel, prominent 16th century printer and humanist, originally from Paris, who moved his press to Germany to escape religious persecution.
Original book boards. Vellum and calfskin. Embossed tooling. Dimensions: 23,5 cm x 35,5 cm. Layout in two parallel columns: Original Greek on the left, and the Latin translation to the right, plus commentaries.
Pages: 36 unnumbered (intro); 479 pp; 3 unnumbered pp; 144 pp; 14 unnumbered pp; 135 pp; 9 unnumbered pp (index).
Contents: The five-book-in-one, De Materia Medica; including the De venenis and the De venenatis animalibus (called Alexipharmaca and Theriaca, respectively, in the running titles), the Scholia of Saracenus, and the De facile parabilius tam simplicibus quam compositus medicamentis (the last with separate post-scriptum in Greek and Latin). Index. Engraved portraits of Dioscorides and Saracenus (Sarrasin).
Provenance: Ex Libris F.B. Lorch, prominent historical collector of rare manuscripts and incunabula.
Condition: Very Good. Boards as per images; raised bands/ribs of spine rubbed. Tear repair to title page lower right edge: “Sumptibus haeredum And(reae Wecheli) / “Cum S. Caesarea maiestas (privilegio); ink inscription “Franco Furti ad Moenum” (indicating Franfurt, city of publication). Damp staining in gutter of introductory pages (36pp), without compromising text. Balance of book in VG+ condition. No foxing.
- Jacket Condition: N/A
- Binding Condition: Good
- Overall Condition: Very Good
- Size: 23,5 x 35,5cm
