William Salmon
SEPLASIUM
The Compleat English Physician or The Druggist's Shop Opened
Medicine , Drugs , Recipes , Alchemy , Witchcraft , Unicorns , Satyrs
Rare First Edition

1693

William Salmon

SEPLASIUM.
The Compleat
English Physician: OR, THE Druggist's Shop Opened.

London: Andrew Gilliflower and George Sawbridge, 1693. First Edition.

7 x 41/2 inches

An extremely interesting work detailing remedies, potions, medicines, pharmacology, etc. In ten books, including Botanical and Zoological sections in which Salmon describes unicorns and satyrs. He describes a large number of animals including lions, tigers and wolves. His descriptions include their behaviours, followed by potions and remedies made from their body parts (heart, blood, lungs, etc).

'Authors say, that being worn about the Neck as an Amulet, or Xenetton, it preserveth from the Plague, as also from Inchantments and Witchcraft.'(page8)

'The Flesh of the vulgar Land-wolf: it is not used for food, except by some Indians...'(page 378)

'The Fat. It is good against. Baldness and falling of the Hair...' (of the Leopard)(page 419)

Countless potions, remedies and recipes with sections on gunpowder, opium, cannabis, tobacco, beer, folk remedies, mentions of wizardry and witchcraft, mythical creatures such as satyrs and unicorns and much more.

• Book 1: Of Metals and Minerals
• Book 2: Of Salts and their Preparations
• Book 3: Of Sulphurs solid and liquid
• Book 4: Of Stones and Earths
• Book 5: Of Man and Beasts
• Book 6: Of Birds or Fowls
• Book 7: Of parts of Animals
• Book 8: Of parts of Plants
• Book 9: Of Gums Rosins, Balsams
• Book 10: Of Herbs and Plants

Rebound, likely in 19th century, in full leather with 4 gilt lined raised bands and gilt tooled title.

2 blank preliminary leaves, 14 pages (half title+title+dedication+preface), 1 leaf 'The General Contents', 48 pages 'Table of Diseases', 1207 pages, 1 end leaf. Collated page by page and all appears complete. This appears to be a 1st printing as the few other  copies we were able to find and compare to have an Errata leaf. This copy has no Errata leaf.

Condition is good. Exteriors show minor wear and some cracks to leather. Volume's pages were likely slightly trimmed at the time of rebind. Interiors show foxing and toning throughout / old ink inscription to preliminary page /  half title+contents leaf showing some fading to the upper edge with a little text loss to the contents page /  some wear to the gutters between a few of the first few pages / front hinge cracked at page 4,5 of the Preface with this page loose and tears at the gutter / back hinge cracked between pages 1206,1207 but volume is extremely tight and solid. Stain to upper, outer corner of the leaves most notably affecting: the first 26 pages and pages 63-80 and pages 113-137 and pages 263-275, light stain to lower outer corner affecting pages 723-734, stain to the margin of lower edge affecting pages 1049-1135. Please see multiple photos.

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