MIREBELLI, Hieronymo Montuo.

by Hieronymo Montuo Mirebelli

£3,750 · Offered by Sokol Books

First edition of this very rare practical collection of cures, literally ‚ÄòPreparations for Diseases.‚Äô It is dedicated to Francis II as King of France and Scotland, after his marriage to Mary Queen of Scots in 1558, with a prefatory letter on ancient medicine. The privilege at the rear, dated 1554, notes that Mirebelli, also known as Jér√¥me de Monteux (1495-1560), was surgeon in ordinary to the king. Each disease treated here is divided clearly into cause, diagnosis, prognosis and remedy, the latter including recipes and instructions. The first chapter advocates touch as a diagnostic tool, while the second is a long chapter on pain, followed by sections on headaches; this guide is clearly designed for the average user to easily diagnose their own conditions by feeling. Mirebelli is interested in mental illnesses including mania, delirium, melancholy, amnesia, lethargy and insomnia, catatonia, etc. Sexual conditions described include gonorrhea, impotence, priapism and onerogmos, i.e. nocturnal excretions. Drawing on ancient Greek and Arabic sources, Mirebelli advises using amulets as both preventative measure and active cure, many sections having specific instructions on what stone or gem to use in combatting the disease or condition. To treat impotence, for example, Mirebelli advises the reader to wear an amulet of wolf testicles, or to tie the bladder of a bear around the right arm, or that of a lizard or badger around the left. In addition to the sexual material, there

• Binding: Hardcover

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