MEDICAL RECEIPTS AND MANNA

García Lecca, Francisco Alonso Esteban: Escrutinio physico-medico-mechanico-chimico sobre las especiales virtudes medicinales de las aguas de Alaràz, y Muñana, para la mas exacta curacion de todas rebeldes dolencias [...] contiene una dissertacion physico-medico-Pharmaceutica sobre el Mannà que se observo en varios Pueblos de la inmediacion de esta ciudad de Abila. Salmanticae [Salamanca]: Ex Officina Typographica Petri Ortiz Gomez. [1753].

First edition of this assorted medical work, rare outside Spain, advertised as a study of the waters of the village of Alaraz near Salamanca, with a section on the waters of Muñana near Ávila. A considerable focus is placed on offering receipts for different ailments. The most intriguing part is (115-132) a treatise on the manna (i.e. the food described in the Hebrew Bible that was sent to the Israelites from heaven), that appeared in localities of the diocese of Ávila on St. Bartholomew's Day 1751. The work ends with a study of treatment for fevers, with prescriptions for the use of quinine. The author describes the effects of his treatments (150-154) on named Carmelite monks.    

Description

One volume, 20 cms. x 14.8 cms. in binding, quarto, pp. [44] 154 [6]. Signed: ⁋-⁋⁋⁋⁋⁋4 ⁋⁋⁋⁋⁋⁋2 A-V4. Roman and italic letter, printed side-notes, typographical decoration. Light browning, some old spotting and ink stains to verso of final endpaper, bound in a limp vellum laced-case binding, ties of alum-tawed skin. 

Bibliography

CCPB000457006-5. Aguilar Piñal I 925. Palau 8403. OCLC shows copies outside Spain at Bibliothèque Nationale de France and Washington State University.