Ortus Medicinae, Id Est Initia Physicae Invadita Progressus Medicinae Nouus, In Morborum Ultionem Ad Vitam Longam Authore Ioan Baptista Van Helmont, Toparcha In Merode Royenb Pellines, &c. Edente Authoris Filio Francisco Mercurio Ven Helmont, Cum Eius Praefatione Ex Belgico Translata Editio Quarta. In Qua Praeter Quaedam Auth. Fragmenta Adiecti Fuerunt Indices. Tractarum De Lithiasi Febr. Humoribus, & Peste Qui In Aliis Desiderabantur. Lugdung Sumptibus Ioannis Baptistae Deuenet In Vico Mercatorio Sub Signo Crucis Aureae. MDCLV. Cum Priuilegio Regis.
Ioannis Baptistae Van Helmont, Toparchae In Royenborch, Pellines, &c. Opuscula Medica Inaudita. I. De Lithiasi. II. De Febribus. III. De Humoribus Galeni. IV. De Peste. Editio Quinta Multo Emendatior. Lugduni, Sumptibus Ioan. Baptist. Devenet, In Vico Mercatorio. MDCLV. Cum Privilegio Regis.
Ortus Medicinae, or The Beginning of Physica into the Invaded Progress of Medicine, Newly Authored by Johan Baptista Van Helmont, Lord of Merode, Royenb, and Pellines, etc. Edited by the Author's Son, Francis Mercury Ven Helmont, with His Preface Translated from Belgian, Fourth Edition. In Which, Besides Some Authenticated Fragments, Indexes Have Been Added. Treatises on Lithiasis, Fevers, Humors, & Pestilence That Were Missing in Others. Lyon, Published by Johannes Baptista Devenet in the Market Lane Under the Sign of the Golden Cross. 1655. With the King's Privilege.
[together with]
Ioannis Baptistae Van Helmont, Lord of Royenborch, Pellines, etc. Unheard-of Medical Works. I. On Lithiasis. II. On Fevers. III. On Galen's Humors. IV. On Pestilence. Fifth Edition, Much Improved. Lyon, Published by Ioan. Baptist. Devenet, in the Market Lane. 1655. With the King's Privilege.
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Helmont (1577-1644) "devoted his life to exploring the first principles of nature through chemistry. He is best remembered as the first to use the word gas [derived from the Greek 'chaos'], a term he coined to described the 'specific smokes' that remain after the combustion of solids and fluids; among the gases he identified were carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chlorine gas and sulphur dioxide" (Norman Library). Ortus medicinæ "is our chief source for the discoveries of Helmont with regard to the chemical nature of living processes" (Printing and the Mind of Man). Opuscula medica inaudita (the second part of this book), originally published as a separate work in 1644, contains reprints of Helmont's treatises on the stone, on fevers, on the errors of humoral pathology, and on the plague.
This book is rather scarce and has a particularly fine engraved title page.
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Size: 234 x 347 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[half title, t.p., a3-6, e1-6, 487pp., t.p., 3A2, pp.5-192, 3R1-3Y3]
Relatively recent (circa early 20th century?) full calf binding, boards blindstamped in a panelled design, with a tooled red morocco label laid to the spine with gilt decoration. Spine uniformly sunned, but presents well on the shelf nonetheless. Boards a little rubbed, shelf & edge wear, but generally very good. Joints all secure with hinges uncracked, both boards securely attached, the binding secure, with a very slight shelf lean. Page edges very good or better. Without any attached bookplates. Original endpapers bound in. Text block slightly foxed, a little heavier to endpapers and half title, but generally remains bright and fully legible, the text without loss of sense. Text columns often offset, but remain presentable.
[OCLC 902352681, 14296127].
