Michael Savonarola, 10 May 1486

SAVONAROLA, Michael (1384–c.1466). Practica medicinae, sive De aegritudinibus. Venice: Andreas de Bonetis, 10 May 1486.

Second edition of a comprehensive and highly influential work on practical medicine. Its six tracts deal with how disease is caused, diagnosed and treated, including by surgery, and contains other topics necessary for a practicing physician such as bedside manner, ethics, nutrition, medicines and other remedies. The longest tract, the sixth, describes diseases arranged in head-to-toe order and is especially important for its treatment of obstetrics and gynaecology, which in turn influenced Rösslin’s Der Rosengarten. Michele Savonarola (grandfather of Girolamo) was a professor at Padua and Ferrara and personal physician to the Estense court. A large copy, retaining some deckle edges, with handsome contemporary illumination and decoration. Rare on the market; RBH records no copy of the first (1479) or second edition at auction. H *14481; BMC V 362; BSB-Ink S-185; Goff S-297; Klebs 882.2; ISTC is00297000.

Royal folio (421 x 267mm). 266 leaves, with the first and last blank leaf. Contemporary south-German illumination: tracts 1 and 6 with an illuminated initial (tract 6 historiated with a physician examining a urine flask) and partial floral-branch border, other initials in red or blue or interlocking, capital strokes to major initials (occasional spotting, faint marginal dampstain in a few leaves, minor wormholes at beginning and end). Modern blindstamped pigskin by Trevor Lloyd, two fore-edge clasps. Provenance: early marginal annotations and corrections in several hands.