I. Fernelii Ambiani - Universa Medicina - 1593

Ioannis Fernelii Ambiani Universa Medicina, Editio Quinta. Francofurti, Apud Andreae Wecheli heredes, Claudium Marnium & Ioan. Aubrium, 1593. Volume in-8° (mm 175 × 125 alla legatura), pp. (32), 670, (60); complete with the full-page portrait of Fernel in the frontispiece (with Greek caption). Rough parchment calf binding contemporary, spine with raised bands and manuscript title in Gothic script (“Fernel. Univers. Medic.” or similar), boards with traces of ancient writings. State of conservation: lower cut to the title-page; signs of wear on the last pages (visible in the photos); scattered foxing and normal signs of use of the period. Overall an intact copy still very usable. This is the fifth edition (the most complete up to that date) of the monumental Universa Medicina by Jean Fernel (Ioannes Fernelius Ambianus, 1497-1558), personal physician to Henry II of France and one of the central figures of Renaissance medicine. The work is divided into three large sections: • Physiologia (Books VII) – anatomical and functional description of the human body; • Pathologia (Books VII) – causes and nature of diseases; • Therapeutice (Books VII) – cure and remedies. Fernel was among the first to systematize medicine in a “modern” way, moving beyond pure Galenic empiricism and introducing concepts of rational physiology, general pathology, and therapy based on observation. His work remained a reference point for over a century and contributed decisively to the birth of scientific medicine. Complete sixteenth-century editions of the Universa Medicina, especially the Frankfurt editions by Wechel, are increasingly rare on the market. Copies in contemporary bindings, complete with the portrait and in acceptable condition, are sought after by both collectors of antique medicine and by specialized libraries. This fifth edition of 1593, edited and enriched compared to the previous ones, represents one of the high points of the work’s dissemination. An interesting and complete copy.

Estimation:€450

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