pdf - Roger Gaskell Rare Books

135
MERCKLIN, Georg Abraham (1644–1702?)
Tractatio med. curiosa, de ortu & occasu transfusionis
sanguinis, qua haec, quae Wt è bruto in brutum, à foro medico penitus
eliminatur; illa, quae è bruto in hominem peragitur, refutatur, &
ista, quae ex homine in hominem exercetur, ad experientiae examen
relegatur.
Nuremberg: sumptibus Johannis Ziegeri, bibliopolae, typis Christohori
Gerhardt, 1679.
8vo: )(– 2)( 8 (–)(7,8) A–G8 H2 (=2)(7,8?), 72 leaves, pp. [28], 112, [4],
engraved title on )(8 which is bound before the printed title on )(1.
197 x 92mm. Paper slightly weak at the beginning; browned.
Binding: Eighteenth­century calf, rebacked. Bound with an unrelated
work in Dutch, Lange, Schaadelyke veepest, Amsterdam, 1719.
Provenance: Owners stamp of Dr. med. Merzbach, Berlin, on free
endleaf.
First edition. Wellcome IV, p. 115; Krivatsy 7774; Heirs of Hippocrates 653.
‘Following Lower and Denis, [Mercklin] was one of the earliest medical writers
to discuss the history, value, dangers, and methods of blood transfusion. In
this work Mercklin recognizes and understands what is now known as a
transfusion reaction, and he was not entirely convinced of the wisdom of
performing transfusions. Transfusions were then done from an animal,
usually a sheep, to a human being, or from person to person. The technical
diYculties were great and Mercklin pointed out the dangers and drawbacks as
he understood them. The Wrst two chapters of his book deal with the history
of transfusion and the techniques and instrumentation to be employed. In
the remainder of the volume Mercklin discusses case histories, indications,
and diseases that were improved or left unchanged by blood transfusion.’
(Heirs of Hippocrates.)
The engraved titlepage displays scenes of blood transfusions, between a
dog and a young man, and two between young men.
136
MICHAELSPACHER, Stephan, publisher
Cabala, Spiegel der Kunst unnd Natur: in Alchymia: Was der
weisen uralte stein, doch für ein ding sey, der, da dreyfach, und nur
ein Stein ist.
Augsburg: bey Johann Schultes, in verlegung SteVan Müschelspachern
auß Tyroll, 1615.
4to: A–B 8 (–B8), 7 leaves unpaginated.
4 large folding engraved plates (c. 320 x 250mm), the Wrst signed
‘Raphael Custodis. Sculpsit. Stephan Michelspacher Ex’., the second
‘R.C.S’, the third ‘PC. Sculps’, the fourth ‘R.C.’