Paracelsian Medicine/Alchemy. CROLL, Oswald. Basilica Chymica. Genève, Ioannes Celerius, 1624

Small 8vo, mm. 155x105; Full calf binding of the XVIIIth century, golden titles and ornaments on the spine, red edges; pp. (38, including 4 bl.), 364, (4, Series), (56, Index); pp. (14), 92, (36), 2 bl. Printer’s device on Title-page, some illustrations within the text. Some brownings due to the quality of paper and ink, unsophisticated copy.

Rare edition of one of the greatest works of Paracelsian medicine. The book is divided into three parts: the preface in which the author discusses the doctrines of Paracelsus; The 'Royal Chemistry'; the 'Treaty of the signatures', where the plants are the ratios indicated with the different parts of the human body. At the end of the second part shows the alchemical symbols and the alchemy characters representing the chemicals and minerals. Stillman: “Oswald Crollius... was another influential advocate of Paracelsus, and a contributor to the chemical remedies. His Basilica Chymica... was his most popular work. It contained an exposition of the teachings of Paracelsus, a treatise on materia medica in which he emphasizes the chemical medicines, and a treatise on the doctrine of Signatures, a subject also treated in the Paracelsian literature, and which assumes that medicinal plants or other sources of medicine bear some symbol or sign of their value for medicine in their color, shape or other visible sign, by which God intends that their shall become known to those expert and wise in the interpretation of these signs.” DSB: “The Basilica chymica became the standard scientific work of iatrochemistry. In sharp contrast with Paracelsus' vagueness, Crollius describes in detail the individual preparations, their composition, and their application. This explains why the book became such a great success, running to many editions and occasionning many commentaries.” The lot is offered with a valid export license.