Porta (Giovanni Baptista della) De distillatione lib. IX.,first edition, epigrams in Hebrew, Greek, Chaldean, Arabic, Slavonic, and Armenian, each with their Latin translation, engraved portait of the author within elaborate frame by Giacomo Lauri (see Benezit, vol.III, p.55), 35 woodcut illustrations, decorations and initials, contemporary vellum, [Duveen p.481; Ferguson II 216; Riccardi I(2) 312; Norman 1725], small 4to, Rome, Camera Apostolica, 1608.

***First edition of the most important treatise by Porta, which represents the most comprehensive view of the applications of distillation in the sixteenth century. The distillation process, as applied to every conceivable substance, was the basis of alchemical research and as such was the beginning of experimental chemistry. The nine parts of this work deal with the various kinds of distillation, including methods of extraction, the preparation of scented distilled waters, oils distilled from resins, oils distilled from woods, the distillation of corrosive mineral acids, the properties of these acids, distillation of alcohol from wine, and the preparation of various ointments..