Details

Other Title:

Philosophorum lapidis.
Confectio sincerissima a quodam philosopho.

Subjects:

Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint.
Alchemy -- Early works to 1800.
Alchemy.
Astrology -- Early works to 1800.
Astrology.
Astronomy -- Early works to 1800.
Astronomy.
Chemistry -- History.
Chemistry.
History.
Medicine -- Formulae, receipts, prescriptions -- Early works to 1800.
Medicine -- Formulae, receipts, prescriptions.
Pharmacology -- Early works to 1800.
Pharmacology.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Recipes.
Manuscripts, Italian.
Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Language:

Italian, with some Latin.

Summary:

Chemical/alchemical work (p. 1-154), preceded by an explanation of astronomical and chemical symbols and by a table of contents (p. [vii]-[xii] before p. 1), to which page references were added by the same hand that added the pagination. Begins (p. 1) with a chapter on "lapis philosophorum" and continues with astrological, alchemical and pharmaceutical sections, e.g. Sole di Fra Giorgio d'Armenia; sole in mercurio; lavoro mercuriale; oglio d'antimonio' sale di vitriolo; purificatione di mercurio; ad morbum gallicum. Also includes a litany of the Blessed Virgin (p.158-159), very similar to the Litany of Loreto.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from title page (p. [v]).
Incipit and explicit: (p. 1) Philosophorum lapidis. Confectio sincerissima a quodam philosopho ... (p. 154) confortat in agonia.
Collation: Paper, i (17th-century paper) + 88 + i (17th-century paper); 1¹⁰(-1) 2-8¹⁰ 9¹⁰(-1); [x], 1-166; pagination in ink in a somewhat later hand, upper outer corners. Signatures on first recto and last verso of each quire, lower inner corner. Catchwords in lower right corner, each page. Link to collation model at end of record.
Script: Written in a cursive script.
Decoration: Alchemical symbols throughout; a few manicules (p. 31, 82).
Binding: 17th-century Italian half vellum. Cover starting to pull loose, particularly at inside front hinge. Manuscript was trimmed for rebinding and edges sprinkled with red.
Origin: Written in Italy in the 16th century (Zacour-Hirsch).
Forms part of: Edgar F. Smith Memorial Collection.

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Otto Orren Fisher (bookplate, inside upper cover); description from unidentified dealer's catalogue (inside lower cover).
Acquired, 1963.

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965), pp. 242-243 (Ms. E. F. Smith 40).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 124

Contains:

Catholic Church. Litany of Loreto.

OCLC:

155962610

Web link:

Collation model