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Popular book with many medicinal and household recipes, including the use of the divining rod for finding criminals

DIGBY, Kenelmus (or DYGBY), Nicolas PAPINUS & Athanasius KIRCHER.
Theatrum Sympateticum, ofte wonder toneel der natuirs verborgentheden. Behelsende een uitstekende oratie, over het gebruik des poeders de sympathie, daar in de waarheid zijner werkinge werd ontdekt. Benevens twee waardige vervolgen, van veele zeldsame antipathien en sympathien, als mede, hoe dat de dieren, planten, metalen &c. zonder zaad of voort-teelinge konnen voort komen, en waar uit de sympathien oorspronkelijk zijn, met meer andere geheimenissen der natuurkunde, door N. Papinius en A. Kircherus.

With fine engraved frontispiece by J. Luyken.

With fine engraved frontispiece by J. Luyken.

With fine engraved frontispiece by J. Luyken.

With fine engraved frontispiece by J. Luyken.



Amsterdam, Leeuwarden, Jan ten Hoorn, Pieter Ruirds, 1709. 2 parts in one volume. Small 8vo. Contemporary vellum, title in ink in manuscript on spine. With fine engraved frontispiece by J. Luyken. [8], 320; 196, [20] pp.

Third, corrected and enlarged edition in Dutch of this popular work mainly on medicinal herbs, plants, minerals etc. with recipes, in two parts. The first part contains notes on medicinal herbs and plants by Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665), an English diplomat and author with an interest in the occult and one of the great early experimental philosophers, and includes an oration on a medical powder called 'Sympathetic powder' (pp. 125-128), actually vitriol. The powder was to be put on a bandage, which had been previously in contact with the wound. This bandage was then put aside at a cool place, during the curing of the wound. There was never any actual contact between the powder and the wound! This example of quackery does not diminish the importance of Digby's early defence of Harvey in his 'Two treatises' (1644).
Digby's lecture on this powder appeared at Paris in 1658 and was translated into English by R. White and published in 1658 in 12mo. On pp. 105-122 the making and use of the divining rod a.o. for finding criminals and water, is treated. The first part also includes an extract of Athanasius Kircher's (1602-1680) 'Het groote licht der natuurkunde' on magnetism and the influence of the moon, sun etc. (pp. 179-316). Furthermore extracts from Nicolas Papin's (ca. 1600-1653) 'Theatrum sympateticum' are used ( pp. 125-175). The second part includes recipes for bleaching powders and other woman's make-up (part 2, pp.175-183). The first edition in Dutch was published in 1681 at the same publisher, the second in 1697.

Hinges weak; wormholes at the end; with bookplate of Kenneth Garth Huston (1926-1987), physician, book collector and bibliographer of Digby, pasted on inside front cover. Good copy of a popular work on the use of medicinal herbs, plants, vitriol, and the divining rod.
Caillet 10601; DNB V, 970; DSB IV, 95-6 ; Ferguson, Bib. chem., I, pp. 212-213; cf: Duveen pp. 172-173 & 574; Muller, Pop. proza 763 (2nd ed. 1697); De Vries, Pop. proza 473 (idem).

Related Subjects: Magnetism  Medicine  Natural History  Occult Sciences 

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€ 1.950,00

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