Boncambiis, Julius de

Libro lettera O. A collection of alchemical, chemical and medical receipts, processes, and 'secrets': in Italian and Latin. Compiler's holograph MS., with some entries by another hand. Illustrated with a few rough pen-drawings of alchemical apparatus, etc., and on fol. 1v., fol. 57v and fol. 68 with full-page symbolic drawings. On the first leaf is a pen-drawn coat of arms, and below within a decorated panel 'Julius Comes de Boncambiis de Perusia'. The receipts, etc. are mainly alchemical, but include entries on glass-making and artificial gems. Among the longer entries are: Ff. 1-67 Annotationes circa medicinam universalem, seu Aurum potabile et Lapidem physicum. Liber primus [et secundus]. Authore ononimo [sic]. 252-277 Il modo nel quale si possono fare Fiore d'ogni sorte simili alle naturale et caurale da ogni sorte de metalli, et da ogni pietra, et fare smala d'ogni colore, e mosaico, et tingere vetri per vitriate con bellissimi modi di contrafar le perle e coralli... 335v-367v La corona della rossa Croce. Begins: Quello che sà fare la Pietra con il Mercury Ends:...e cosi la pietra è/fatta del Mercury solo. 413-419 Positiones de complemento artificii philosophici vel Magisterio Hermetis. 443v-458 Lapis del quinternetto del Pietro Rossi. Inscribed inside the lower cover: 'Il Signor Claudio Scipioni Avignonese, Procuratore in Roma è virtuosissimo in Alchimia'. Produced in Perugia.

c. 1700

1 volume 1 l. + 460 ff. + 2 ll. + 4to. 191/2 x 131/2 cm. Original vellum binding.

Purchased 1911.

Alchemical symbols for planets and metals in Moorat's catalogue description have been replaced with the name of the corresponding metal (in English).

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).