[Alchemical and medical compilation]

Name:

Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1750

Description:

Collection of instructional works bound together concerning alchemy, divination, medical remedies, and anatomy. Includes a partial alphabetical index (f. i recto-v verso). Instructions include details on alchemical procedures such as calcination, distillation and transmutation (f. 105r) including how to turn lead into gold (f. 114v) and sapphires into diamonds (f. 115r). An entire section is devoted to the properties of salt (f. 48r). Other practical instructions include a section on military stratagems (f. 35v) and remedies for wounds such a rabid dog bite (f. 45v).

Language:

Latin; Italian; Spanish; Castilian; French; Greek, Modern (1453-)

Provenance:

Formerly housed in the library of the Jesuit College of Naples (note, f. v verso).; Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.; Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 587, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).; Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.; Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner.; Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner.

Relation:

Unique at Penn blog post: https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/; Video orientation: https://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/100000303

Subject:

Alchemy -- Early works to 1800; Alchemy; Anatomy -- Early works to 1800; Anatomy; Occultism -- Early works to 1800; Occultism

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

manuscripts (documents); codices (bound manuscripts); compilation manuscripts; diagrams; drawings (visual works); manuals (instructional materials); Manuscripts, European

Physical Description:

163 leaves : paper; 302 x 210 mm bound to 315 x 215 mm + 2 notes

Rights:

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title supplied by cataloger.; Foliation: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 168 + i (contemporary paper); [i-v, 1-163]; modern foliation in pencil, lower right recto. Irregular contemporary foliation and pagination in ink, upper outer corners. All references in this record are to modern foliation. A number of leaves have been cut out, occasionally resulting in a loss of text (for example, f. 14-15). Several folios are completely detached (f. 33-35).; Script: Written in various cursive scripts by many different hands.; Decoration: Circular foldout diagram (f. 93r); pen and ink drawings of alchemical apparatus (for example, f. 4r) and several circular diagrams (f. 31r, 122v).; Binding: Contemporary parchment. Some staining of paper due to mold and moisture damage. Several leaves are completely detached.; Origin: Written in the 18th century[?].; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; Latin, Italian, and Spanish, with some French and occasional words in Greek.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Oversize Ms. Codex 1676