Paracelsus | One of the rarest and most wide-ranging works by Paracelsus

Paracelsus (P.A.T. Bombast von Hohenheim)

Ettliche Tractatus... I Von Natürlichen dingen. II. Beschreibung etliche Kreütter. III. Von Metallen. IIII. Von Mineralen. V. Von Edlen Gesteinen. Strasbourg: Heirs of C. Müller, 1570

Small 8vo. Early vellum over boards; some light browning throughout, small paper flaw in first leaf of privilege affecting a few letters, a few minor stains.

First edition of one of the rarest and most wide-ranging works by Paracelsus. “Edited by Michael Toxites from previous publications and previously unpublished manuscript material. The text begins with a long section describing various "natural things." This is divided into 17 chapters describing: (1) turpentine, (2) the black and white varieties of the medicinal hellebore plant, (3) ‘Wasserblüt,’ (4) salt and its compounds, (5) the Saint James Wart, (6) the magnet, which predates William Gilbert by 30 years, (7) sulfur, (8) vitriol, (9) arsenic, (10) a further tract on turpentine, (11) honey and its varieties, (12) descriptions of various herbs, (13) ‘Persicaria,’ (14) salt and its manufacture, (15) the English Thistle, (16) coral, and (17) the manufacture of magnets. Two tracts published from manuscript material concerning minerals and mineral waters follow. Finally, descriptions of elemental water (in the Aristotelian element sense), metals, minerals, salts, and precious stones close the work” (The Mineralogical Record).

A popular work, it went through many editions in the sixteenth century. A copy of the first edition is recorded in Glasgow University Library with a variant title (“Etlicher”). Only two copies have appeared at auction in this century.

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Sudhoff 120