Medical and alchemical recipes

1 volume (various pagings) : illustrations (drawings, engravings) ; 17 cm (octavo) 1 volume (various pagings) : 17 cm (octavo) Manuscript text consists of medico-alchemical recipes bound into a volume with an unrelated printed work, presumably for the purpose of concealment. The text is accompanied by a sketch of vessel for distillation. Recipes include the distillation of oils, preparations of salts and alum, and remedies for plague and fevers. On the back pastedown is a list of alchemical symbols for the planets and their corresponding elements. There are two popular Latin charms on the end flyleaf, beginning: "Anna peperit mariam maria salvatorem" and "In nomine dominus, Jesus, Maria... deus Abraham ... fiebvre je te conjure." The printed work is a poetic description of Switzerland, featuring thirteen woodcuts with views of Swiss cities (from the 1554 second edition) Manuscript bound with printed work Title devised by cataloguer; title of printed text page [1] Numbering: 11 unnumbered manuscript leaves, 94 pages, 16 unnumbered leaves (chiefly engravings), 11 unnumbered manuscript leaves Attribution and date ante quam based on internal evidence Volume contains a manuscript attributed to Denis de la Fontaine with alchemical and medicinal recipes and excerpts, which precedes and follows a printed work: (pages 1-[94]) "Helvetiae descriptio cum IIII. Helvetiorum pagis ac XIII. urbium Panegyrico, & Osvaldi Molitoris Lucerini Commentario" (Basilae : per Iacobum Parcum, anno M.D.LIIII [1554]) Manuscript on laid paper with watermark featuring a pot with handle and crown on top. Written in late 16th-early 17th century secretary hand throughout in brown ink. Paper is ruled in red ink around the margin. Writing continues onto the pastedowns Title-page of printed text with inscriptions: "Pour M[onsieu]r Denis De la Fontaine. Cirurgien en la Ville de Grace." Denis de la Fontaine was a physician active in the 1590s in Le Havre