Tinnitus, diabetes, manic depression: a medical manual drawing on Avicenna, editio princeps
De aegritudinibus particularibus. De curis febrium.
Chancery folio (205 x 285 mm). 2 parts in one volume. 122 ff. (A-O8, P10); 66 ff. (a-f8, g10, h8), complete with A1 and a1 blanks. 2 columns, 48 lines. Large illuminated initial and floral border on A2r, an illuminated coat of arms with additional floral border in the lower margin. Illuminated initials on leaves L2r and O8r, initials, paragraph marks and capital strokes in red and blue, borders ruled in pencil. Blind-tooled dark calf over heavy wooden boards with remains of clasps.
€ 85.000,00
Editio princeps and sole incunabular edition of this two-part medical treatise, drawing strongly on the Arabic physicians who dominated the medieval medical schools of France and Northern Italy. It includes the author's treatise on fevers, based on Avicenna, who is variously quoted and is also referenced in the handwritten annotations. Some of the surprisingly modern ailments discussed include tinnitus, diabetes, and manic depression.
"Concoreggio, born in Milan around 1380, was made professor in Bologna in 1404 before teaching at the Universities of Pavia, Florence and (in 1439) Milan. His works are composed after the model of the Arabs, without much personal observation, and were published as a collection after his death in Pavia around the year 1440" (cf. Hirsch).
A beautiful copy with a large illuminated initial and floral border, as well as an illuminated coat of arms with additional floral border in the lower margin on A2r.
A2 and final leaf show small marginal repairs, quires M and P faintly browned, otherwise mostly fresh, clean and wide-margined with just A2 trimmed at foot into illumination and marginalia trimmed on D6. Remboitage of blind-ruled calf over massive boards, formerly enclosing a Bible, rebacked, covers rubbed and scored, lacking brass fittings and clasps.
Provenance: ink marginalia in an early, probably contemporary, hand. Late 16th or early 17th century ink ownership inscription of Francesco Portidi, physician, on A1r. Evidence of a stamp removed from margin of A2.
Very rare on the market, with only one complete copy selling at auction in the past 50 years (this copy).
HC *5615. Goff C-803. GW 7291. BMC VII, 997. BSB-Ink C-505. Bod-Inc C-415. ISTC ic00803000.
