Item: Brazil-Et De Indiae Natural Medical / Rare 1st Edition / * 1658/Folio. 14 “/ * G.Pisonis
Sold For: $4,173.00
Bids: 36
Date: Aug 20, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Description and Image By: booker17
Very rare – scarce edition fine leather binding – folio. 14″ x 9″ inches (lxb) rare first edition – 650+ engraved llustrations
de indiae utriusque re naturali et medica libri quatuordecim quorum contenta pagina sequens exhibet. By gulielmi pisonis Amsterdam. Amstelaedami: apud ludovicum et danielem elzevir. 1658. (published date 1658). Rare first edition. Large folio. 14″ x 9″ inches (lxb). Pp. (24) pp. Incl. Engraved title, 327 [i.e. 329], (5), 39, (1), 226, (2) pages including the 2 subtitles (marcgraf & bontius) + 650 fine in text woodcut illustrations of fish, birds, plants, snakes, insects and other animals. Complete as issued. Text in latin. Fine original contemporary full calf leather boards, gilt decorated spine sympathetically rebacked in antique style, using matching brown calf leather with 5 raised bands & a red gilt lettered morocco label. Rare first edition under this title of the only illustrated work on brazilian natural history and native medicine, containing the first descriptions and depictions of many brazilian plants and animals. This work which comprised text by piso and georg marggraf, first appeared while piso was still in brazil, and he was most unhappy with the editing of his material. On returning to holland, he produced this complete and full edition of his work, combining with it the material from the researches of george marcgraf, who died in 1644, further chapters were added by jacob bontius (including a commentary on garcia d’orta and discussion of east indian species in relation to the west indies). Includes, along with numerous new woodcuts, piso’s work on aromatic plants & many descriptions of diseases and the native remedies for them, yaws, dysentery etc., and established the author as one of the earliest authorities on tropical medicine. He intended the work to be a handbook of tropical medicine, pharmacology, and natural history. The work includes marcgraf’s observations at the first american observatory at recife “tractatus topographicus & meteerologicus brasiliæ, cum eclipsi solari.” The fine engraved title shows an idealised ‘indies’, east and west, a brazilian indian and asian in a forest clearing, with a porcupine, sloth, hairy anteater, parrots, pineapple, and other examples of brazilian fauna and flora, along with a dodo, rhinoceros, leopard, wart hog, etc. (fauna of the indian ocean perimeter). This frontispiece was based on that of the 1648 work, with the addition of fauna of the indian ocean perimeter in lieu of a brazilian native woman, a river god, monkeys, and a native dance (which is replaced by a dodo). This work is considered a classic study of tropical medicine, native uses of plants and also animals, and the most extensive documentation of brazilian flora and fauna in the 17th century. “very important, fundamental treatise – well-known” (wood, p. 520). “first really significant contribution to our knowledge of the fauna of south america, excellent preliminary insight into the natural history of south america” (anker, p. 18). “most extensive documentation of brazilian fauna and flora in the seventeenth century” (bradley-martin). Nissen bbi: 1533. Garrison & morton: 1825. Wellcome iv p. 393. A classic work. There are numerous close-up pictures of the contents given below; please click on them for a detailed description (see scans below). Please take some time to view the 50+ pictures in detail, in order to gain a full idea of the contents and condition. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/willem_piso Willem piso or guilherme piso, also known as willem pies or guilielmo pisonis (leiden, 1611 – amsterdam, november 28, 1678) was a dutch physician and naturalist who participated as an expedition doctor in dutch brazil from 1637 – 1644, sponsored by earl johan maurits van nassau-siegen and the dutch west india company. Piso became one of the founders of tropical medicine. Piso finished his studies in caen in 1633 and settled in amsterdam as a doctor, before leaving for brazil as a private physician and in the company of the painters albert eckhout and frans post. There piso propagated the consumption of fresh fish, vegetables and fruits, after he discovered the soldiers and seamen suffered from physical problems resulting from dietary deficiencies. Together with georg marcgrave and originally published by joannes de laet, he wrote the historia naturalis brasiliae (1648), an important early western insight into brazilian flora and fauna. According to reports in the book, he collected plants and animals in brazil, besides studying tropical diseases and indigenous therapies. Ipecacuanha-root and leaves of the jaborandi.