Collecta ex variis auctoribus

A collection of alchemical, chemical and medical receipts in German, Latin and Italian. The work begins with a condensed version of Peter Kertzenmacher's Alchimia. Wie man alle farben, wasser, olea, salia und alumina...machen sol, printed at Strassburg by Jacob Cammerlander in 1539. This was first published in 1534, under the title Alchimi und Bergwerck. Wie man alle farben, wasser...gemacht sollen werden [cf. Darmstaedter. Berg- Probir- und Kunstbuchlein. 1926]. Pp. 38-73 contain a similarly condensed version of Timotheo Rosselli's Somma de secreti universali. Venice. 1580. In Italian. The receipts from these two works are numbered consecutively 1-134 and the numeration is continued up to No. 567. The second part of the MS. contains 910 receipts (60 pp. + 91 ll.). Many of the receipts bear the names of their authors. In the first part the following are most prominent. Dr. Sixtus, Nos. 150-263: Dr. Löwenwald [Lebwald], Nos. 329-359: Thomas Kessler, Nos. 364-415 (from his Fünfhundert ausserlesene chymische Processe. 1641). In the second part, Felice Passera [1610-1702] has the largest number, Nos. 56-208, and 358-410, probably from his Nuovo tesoro degli arcani. Venice 1688-89. Others named are Dr. Gerheim, Nos. 209-347; and Dr. Zoltenstein, Nos. 634-697. The date 1696 is found in connection with Receipt No. 552 of the second part.

c. 1695

1 volume 1 l. + 200 pp. + 9 ll. + 60 pp. + 91 ll. 4to. 20 x 161/2 cm. Half-calf binding 19th cent.. A number of leaves are damaged, and have been repaired.

Purchased 1908.

There are a few additions by several 18th cent. hands.

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).