Opus lilium medicinae inscriptum, de morborum prope omnium curatione, septem particulis distributum.
Lyon: Apud Culielmum Rouillium 1559. 8vo., pp. [1]-920 + [921-933]; 17th century morocco with decorative French armorial stamp to upper and lower boards; five raised bands to spine with manuscript paper spine label to one compartment; upper board held by cords only; soft plastic dj protector; contemporary ink annotaton to front pastedown; leaves with moderate offsetting and foxing throughout; text block sound; good copy. Later edition. Good. Boards. [19337]
Bernardus de Gordonio (c. 1258-c. 1320) wrote the Lilium medicinae, a compilation of medical knowledge for physicians, in 1303-05 while teaching at the University of Montpellier in France. For more than 300 years following, the book was considered an essential component of any physician's library. Bernardus is reputed to have been either French or from Scotland. He was the first to describe seizures of petit mal. Moreover, the text is supposed to contain the first reference to eye-glasses! According to one catalog entry, he relied greatly on Arabic sources, adding his own observations to those of earlier writers. A man of some renown in his own time, he is mentioned by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales. See for instance Christie's catalog sale 9342, lot 109.
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