Details

Subjects:

Alchemy -- Early works to 1800.
Alchemy.
Chemistry -- Early works to 1800.
Chemistry.
Occultism -- Early works to 1800.
Occultism.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Manuscripts, German.
Manuscripts, Latin -- 18th century.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

German, with some words in Latin and marginal notes in English.

Summary:

Extracts from works on chemistry and alchemy. Includes sections on distillation, calcination, fermentation, and discussion of the philosophers' stone. Also includes a list of contents (p. iii-viii).

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Pagination: Paper, 164 leaves; [xvi], 1-15, 17-268, 268-320; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.
Layout: Written in 45 long lines.
Script: Written in a semi-cursive script by a single hand.
Binding: Contemporary parchment. Several leaves are detached.
Origin: Written in Germany[?] in the second half of the 18th century.

Local notes:

Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.

Penn Provenance:

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. 594, 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.

Cited as:

Alchemical Compilation (Ms. Codex 1683). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

Contributor:

Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner.
Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner.
Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

OCLC:

913600158

Web link:

Unique at Penn blog post