Skip to content

The University of Iowa Libraries

Skip to content
Go to
InfoHawk+
University of Iowa Libraries University of Iowa Libraries The University of Iowa The University of Iowa Libraries

Need to Know

Tag: rare books

image of vascular system
Sep 15 2021

New Acquisition | John Martin Rare Book Room | Bleuland, Otium academicum

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Sarah Andrews

black and white image of Jan Bleuland with another person in room with books and skeletonsBLEULAND, JAN (1756-1838) Otium academicum : continens descriptionem speciminum nonnullarum partium corporis humani et animalium subtilioris anatomiae ope in physiologicum usum praeparatarum, aliarumque, quibus morborum organicorum natura illustratur. [Academic leisure: containing a description of several specimens of the human body and of exact animal anatomy prepared for use in physiology, and containing a description of other items with which the nature of organic diseases is illustrated]. Printed in Utrecht by Johannes Altheer in 1828. 168 pages. 37 color illustrations and 35 black and white illustrations. 29 cm tall.

Otium academicum is Bleuland’s catalog for his extensive anatomical collection that was purchased for the University of Utrecht in 1826. It includes descriptions for over 2,000 specimens and 72 beautifully printed illustrations. Domenico Bertolini Meli’s 2017 book, Visualizing Disease is an exceptional book with a thorough investigation into Bleuland’s process, both pathologically and illustratively. Bertolini also provides a good description of the differences between intaglio printing (e.g., engraving or etching lines onto a metal plate) and lithography (ink on a stone surface).

“Otium academicum consists of three parts dealing with anatomy and physiology, comparative anatomy, and pathological anatomy, respectively; they appeared in twelve installments between 1826 and 1828. The illustrations of the first two parts include thirty-six copper engravings printed in color and finished by hand; those of the third part consists of thirty-five black-and-white lithographs and one color engraving; the exceptional pathological plate in color will be discussed below.

image of vascular systemThe separation between physiological and pathological sections, with his distinction between color engravings versus black-and-white lithographs, is quite striking; all his plates, though, relied on preparations…While striking for the preparation and printing techniques, the overall impression of Bleuland’s colored plates is affected by the artificial look of the images: although Bleuland often rejoiced at the beauty of his colored injections, his colors look like implausible renderings of what an anatomist may find in the morgue, though they were possibly true to his preparations.

The scope of his physiological and comparative sections, as in previous publications, was to highlight the physiological significance of his structural findings; in this respect, by highlighting the fine vascular structure, or what he called the anatomia subtiliore, in the tunics and membranes of his preparations, his presentation was perfectly suitable…

Lithography was the preferred medium for pathology presumably for reasons of cost, because most preparations were not colored through injections, and because the versatility of lithography enabled the artist effectively to capture the key features, such as changes in structure and especially texture. A notable feature of Bleuland’s work is that he often tells us how his preparations were made, which vessels he injected, which colors he used, how slowly he injected them, and at times which substance he used, such as mercury.”(p. 90)

book covered with velum binding

“…lithography: by drawing with an oily crayon on the [stone] slab, wetting it, and then applying a sponge dipped in ink, only the portions drawn by the crayon turned black, because the ink was repelled by the water but had an affinity to oily substances. In this way the stone could be used for printing by repeating the same process as many times as one wished.

Whereas in a woodcut the inked image was in relief and in an intaglio print it was recessed, in lithography it was on the surface or at the same level as the plate, hence the technical term of”planographic prints”; unlike intaglio prints, lithographs left virtually no mark of the stone on the paper….eventually lithography allowed for considerable subtleness in tone and effectiveness in representing textures. In addition, the process was simpler, cheaper, and more direct than producing intaglio prints, corrections were easier, and more copies could be printed without wear…” (p. 21) Bertoli, Visualizing Disease, 2017.

The book is in great condition. The paper has very little staining and the images are stunning. It is bound with a leather spine covering and marbled paper.  It is an excellent example of a medical scientist maximizing the printing technology of the day to present their work and visual arguments as effectively, and beautifully, as possible.

 

 If you are interested in seeing these or any other rare materials, please contact Damien Ihrig at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154 to arrange a visit in person or over Zoom. 

Give a gift to the Libraries 

Posted in History of Medicine, John Martin Rare Book Room, Library ResourceTagged John Martin Rare Book Room, new books, rare books
portrait of Theodore Schwann, white man, formal 18th century clothes
Jun 29 2021

New Book: Theodor Schwann, Mikroskopische…, 1839 | John Martin Rare Book Room @Hardin Library

Posted on June 29, 2021June 29, 2021 by Sarah Andrews
portrait of Theodor Schwann, white man, formal 18th century clothes
Theodor Schwann

THEODOR SCHWANN (1810-1882). Mikroskopische Untersuchungen über die Uebereinstimmung in der Struktur und dem Wachsthum der Thiere und Pflanzen. [Microscopical researches into the accordance in the structure and growth of animals and plants] Printed by Georg Reimer in Berlin in 1839. First edition. 270 pages. 21 cm tall.

Schwann was an energetic and talented researcher, inventor, and teacher. He is recognized for many contributions to medical science. Easily his greatest contribution, though, is this foundational work on extending cell theory to animals. Working for his mentor, Johannes Peter Müller, in 1837 the 27-year-old Schwann was using the most powerful microscopes of the day to examine and describe various types of animal cells.

In one of those wonderful moments of scientific serendipity, he happened to be dining with his close friend the botanist, Matthias Jakob Schleiden, when they began to discuss plant cell nuclei. Schwann quickly realized he had seen similar structures in animal cells and that animal cells must function similarly to plant cells: as foundational structures for all living things. Schwann and Schleiden worked together to confirm this. Schwann extended the research with several more experiments on a variety of animal tissues, eventually publishing Mikroskopische in 1839.

By the middle of the 19th century, his two main conclusions, that cells are distinct, but function as the foundational, organizational structures for all living things, became the accepted description for the basic structural components of life. His third conclusion about the formation of cells was not supported by further experimental evidence and was eventually discarded. Regardless, Schwann’s work created the foundation upon which rested the important discoveries of the next century in biology and the medical sciences.

The volume we have was rebound with brown cloth. Pasted to the cloth binding are fun marbled papers, and the outside edges of the text block are decorated with a speckling of red. Inside, the paper is in good shape, although there is clear staining and rippled pages that indicate the book got very wet at some point. Someone took good care to stabilize, clean, and rebind it, although the original binding was lost to us along the way.

If your German is a little rusty, you are in luck! We also have an English translation by Henry Smith from 1847. If you are interested in seeing these or any other rare materials, please contact Damien Ihrig at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154 to arrange a visit in person or over Zoom. 

image of binding and page from book Give a gift to the Libraries

Posted in History of Medicine, John Martin Rare Book Room, Library ResourceTagged history of medicine, microscopy, rare books, Theodor Schwann
title page
Apr 19 2021

Medieval Home Medicine | Week 3 | National Poetry Month @Hardin Library

Posted on April 19, 2021May 24, 2021 by Sarah Andrews

Celebrate National Poetry Month by viewing this medieval didactic poem in hexameter verse.  

Make an appointment to view in person or by Zoom with curator damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or by calling 319-335-9154.

In Laudem Operit poem

REGIMEN SANITATIS SALERNITANUM The Englishmans doctor, or, The school of Salerne. Printed for John Helme 1612 5th impression. [48] pp. 13.7 cm.
First English translation by Sir John Harington

title page

Although not a physician, Sir John Harington (1561-1612) was highly regarded as a man of learning, wit, and great culture. He wrote several works dealing with sanitary engineering; among them was one describing the modern water closet.  Harington first translated the poem into blank verse in 1609.

Authorities disagree even as to the approximate date of the original composition of this poem, but a date near 1100 would probably not be far wide of the mark, although it seems not to have been widely known until the middle of the thirteenth century. The poem believed to have emanated from the school of Salerno; at least, that school’s chief claim to popular fame rests with this long didactic poem which sums up most of the practical medical literature up to its time.

poetry

The work itself is actually a catch-all of advice and instruction on how to preserve health, rules of hygiene and diet, simple therapeutics, and other instruction intended more for the laity than for the medical profession.  Thousands of physicians memorized this poem.  After the invention of printing, nearly nearly three hundred editions were published, in Latin as well as in several vernacular languages. Numerous variations and additional verses which accrued through the years have doubtless obscured the original state of the Regimen, but this collective effort remains one of the most revealing medical works of the Middle Ages.

bound cover photo

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Damien Ihrig at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154.

Posted in History of Medicine, John Martin Rare Book Room, Library ResourceTagged rare books, Regimen sanitatis Salernitanum, Sir John Harington
image of Duncan Stewart, white man, posing with rare book outside
Mar 16 2021

You cannot judge a book by its cover. The title page is another story.

Posted on March 16, 2021March 23, 2021 by Sarah Andrews

by Duncan Stewart, MA, MLIS, Rare Materials Cataloger, University of Iowa Libraries,
Adjunct Faculty, School of Library and Information Sciences, University of Iowa

image of Duncan Stewart, white man, posing with rare book outside
Duncan Stewart, MA, MLIS

The John Martin Rare Book Room (JMRBR) is filled with books of great medical historical value. But do you know how all those books get into the JMRBR? A book’s journey to the Rare Book Room may start as a donation or as a purchase from a rare book dealer. After being physically recorded as a new part of the collection, all books travel next to one of the University of Iowa Libraries’ rare book catalogers.

Catalogers ply their trade buried within library technical services departments. There they pore over uncatalogued books, comparing the book in hand to its donor or vendor descriptions, taking note of authors, how the leaves of paper were printed and bound, recording how many pages and illustrations there are, and spotting errors that make that book unique. Then catalog librarians weave these disparate threads of information into a single tapestry in the online catalog enabling scholars and other library patrons to discover a new and unique addition to the collection. A full essay on all aspects of cataloging rare books would be long and probably stupefying. However, this title page from a 16th-century herbal work on medicinal plants illustrates one step of rare book classification.

The full title is:
Kreuterbuch, kunstliche Conterfeytunge der Bäume, Stauden, Hecken, Kreuter, Getreyde, Gewürtze : mit eygentlicher Beschreibung derselben Namen, in sechserley Spraachen, nemlich Griechisch, Latinisch, Italianisch, Frantzösisch, Teutsch und Hispanisch und derselben Gestalt, natürlicher Krafft und Wirkung. Sampt künstlichem und artlichem Bericht des Distillierens. Item von fürnembsten Gethieren der Erden, Vögeln, und Fischen, dessgleichen von Metallen, Ertze, Edelgesteinen, Gummi, und gestandenen Säfften. Jetzo auffs fleissigst zum Letzten mal von neuwem ersehen, und durchauss an vielen Orten gebessert, auch weit über vorige Edition gemehret, mit vollkommenen nützlichert Registeren alles Innhalts / durch Adamum Lonicerum

Or loosely translated into English from 16th-century German:
Herbal book, an artful representation of trees, shrubs, hedges, herbs, grains, and spices. With detailed description and their names in six different languages, Greek, Latin, Italian, French, German, and Spanish, and with descriptions of their physical appearance, natural strength, and effects. Artfully collected into a report on distilling. As well as information about the most important animals of the earth, birds, fish, metals, ores, precious stones, saps, and juices. Now seen in greater detail than the previous edition, greatly improved, with useful tables of contents / by Adam Lonitzer.

The title page does not provide all the information needed, such as the number of pages, printing technique, or binding method, But the lengthy title conveys what the book is about, as well as where, when, and who created it. It also contains a wealth of information to begin an online catalog record. Details like the author’s name, which will be one way to find this book in the catalog. The details in the title help the cataloger determine subject headings to describe the book’s contents. And create a call number. The place, printer, and date at the foot of the title page offer details of book production in the western part of Germany in the late 16th century. The woodcut print demonstrates the intricate carving and laborious hand coloring lavished on illustrations in this text.

title page from herbal, gothic script, woodcut  The title page printed in red and black, the luxurious decoration, and the Gothic script all serve notice that this book is one of some importance. Also, the woodcut illustration depicts an image of men at work, especially in the important economic activity of distilling in Frankfurt am Main, which continues to this day. Thus, the title page is the foundation for the catalog record below.

Title Kreuterbuch,…
Author Lonicer, Adam 1528-1586
Subjects Botany — Pre-Linnean works
  Natural history Botany, Medical — Early works to 1800
  Medicinal plants
  Herbals
  Herbs
  Distillation
  Materia medica
  Vellum bindings (Binding)
  Encyclopedias — Germany — 1587
Description Binding: Modern vellum over pasteboard, raised bands, black and red morocco labels
  First published in Latin under title: Naturalis historiae opus novum.
  Foliated with pages numbered on recto
  Signatures: )(⁶ 3*⁴ 2*⁴ A-O⁶ P⁴ Q-Z⁶ a-z⁶ 2A-2E⁶ 2F⁴ 2A-2M⁶ 2N⁵
  “Five large and 13 small woodcut vignettes, and hundreds of woodcuts of plants, flowers, fruits, animals, minerals and gems, all with contemporary hand coloring.”–Vender catalog
  Title printed in red, guide words throughout
  Includes indexes
  References: Pritzel (2nd) 5599
Publisher Zu Franckfort : Bey Christian Egenolffs seligen Erben
Creation Date 1587
Format 14 unnumbered pages, CCCLXXXII, 3 unnumbered leaves : color illustrations ; 31 cm
Language German
Additional title Naturalis historiae opus novum

 

Posted in History of Medicine, John Martin Rare Book RoomTagged Adam Lonicer, cataloging, herbal book, Kreuterbuch, rare books
event flyer with cancelled across it
Mar 05 2020

CANCELLED |2020 Open House | John Martin Rare Book Room @Hardin Library | Black Plague | March 26

Posted on March 5, 2020March 17, 2020 by Sarah Andrews

The 2020 John Martin Rare Book Room Open House has been cancelled.  This event will not be rescheduled.  

Please see our online exhibit: The Black Death: The Plague, 1331-1770

image of fire burning in street during plague
A street during the plague in London with a death cart a Credit: Wellcome Library, London.
Posted in Events, History of Medicine, John Martin Rare Book RoomTagged black death, history of medicine, plague, rare books
Oct 02 2018

Guido Guidi | October 2018 Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room @Hardin Library

Posted on October 2, 2018February 1, 2019 by Sarah Andrews

GUIDO GUIDI (1508-1569). Chirurgia è Graeco in Latinum conversa. Paris: Excudebat Petrus Galterius, 1544 

Guidi, a successful Florentine surgeon, was invited to Paris in 1542 to help the French King Francis I apply medical advances of the Italian Renaissance to French medicine. Francis appointed Guidi his personal physician and chair of surgery at the Collège de France. Upon the death of Francis I in 1547, Guidi was recalled to Italy by Cosimo I, ruler of Tuscany, and became his personal physician and professor of philosophy and medicine at Pisa.

When Guidi came to Paris, he brought with him a copy of a tenth-century Greek surgical manuscript as a gift for the French monarch. Guidi was able to complete his Latin translation and commentary on the manuscript and published this work. The book is a compilation of what was then known about treating wounds and fractures, especially war wounds. Most of the book is devoted to Hippocrates’ writings on ulcers, fistulas, and head wounds with Guidi’s commentaries and observations, and Galen’s commentaries on Hippocrates’ works on fractures and joints.

The artist of this book is thought to be Francesco Salviati and was formerly attributed to artist Francesco Primaticcio.  This book is often considered to be the finest textbook of surgery printed in the 16th century.

image of bandaging head wounds from book
Guido Guidi (Florence 1509–1569 Pisa)
Chirurgia è Graeco in Latinum conversa, Vido Vidio Fiorentino interprete, 1544
French,
Printed book with 210 woodcut illustrations; Overall: 14 3/4 x 10 x 1 15/16 in. (37.4 x 25.4 x 5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1947 (47.21)
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/351242

You may view this book in the John Martin Rare Book Room, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences. Make a gift to the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences by donating online or setting up a recurring gift with The University of Iowa Foundation.

View a digitized reproduction of this book from Gallica.

Posted in History of Medicine, John Martin Rare Book Room, ResourcesTagged Guido Guidi, John Martin Rare Book Room, rare books

Categories

  • Events
  • Exhibits
  • Hardin Library Staff
  • History of Medicine
  • John Martin Rare Book Room
  • Lectures
  • Library Resource
  • Nutrition
  • Plant-Based Foods
  • PubMed
  • Research Data
  • Resources
  • Scholarly Communication
  • Scholarly Impact
  • Services
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Workshops

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Zoia by Automattic.
University of Iowa Libraries University of Iowa Libraries The University of Iowa The University of Iowa Libraries
  • Contact the Libraries
  • Library locations & hours
  • News & Events
  • Help using the Libraries
  • Assistance for people with disabilities
  • Our diversity statement
  • Thank a Librarian
  • Web site/page feedback OR general suggestions
  • UI Libraries other links UI Libraries in the Internet Archive Use and reuse of UI Libraries web content - Creative Commons Staff SharePoint (authentication required)
  • UI Libraries on social media UI Libraries on Instagram UI Libraries on Facebook UI Libraries on Twitter UI Libraries on Pinterest UI Libraries on Tumblr UI Libraries on YouTube UI Libraries on Flickr UI Libraries blogs
  • 100 Main Library (LIB)
  • 125 West Washington St.
  • Iowa City, IA 52242-1420
  • 319-335-5299 (Service Desk)
  • ©2019 The University of Iowa
  • Give a gift to the Libraries!