Botanicum medicinale : an herbal of medicinal plants on the College of Physicians' list: describing their places of growth, roots, bark, leaves, buds, time of flowering, blossoms, flowers, stiles, chives, embrio's, fruits, farina, colours, seeds, kernels, seed-vessels, parts used in medicine, preparations in the shops, medicinal virtues, names in nine languages / most beautifully engraved on 118 large folio copper-plates from the exquisite drawings of the late ingenious T. Sheldrake. English plants are drawn from nature to the greatest accuracy, flowers, or parts, too small to be distinguished, are magnified. Nothing in any language exceeds this thirty years laborious work, of which it may truly be said that nature only equals it, every thing of the kind, hitherto attempted, being trivial compared to this inimitable performance. Designed to promote botanical knowledge, prevent mistakes in the use of simples in compounding and preparing medicines, to illustrate, and render such herbals as want the just representations in their proper figures and colours more useful. Necessary to such as practise physic, pharmacy, chemistry, &c. entertaining to the curious, the divine and philosopher, in contemplating these wonderful productions, - useful to painters, heralds, carvers, designers, gardeners, &c. The colours of every part are minutely described; for utility it must be esteemed preferable to any Hortus Siccus extant. The means to preserve fruits, and dry flowers, in their native form and colour, are not yet discovered; plants cannot be preserved to perfection. The flowers when coloured, are represented in their original bloom, and fruits in the inviting charms of maturity. To which now is added, His tables for finding the heat and cold in all climates, that exotic plants may be raised in summer, and preserved in winter.
Publication details: London : printed for J. Millan, opposite the Admiralty, Whitehall, [1759?] Description: 1 unnumbered leaf, 1-74 leaves of plates, 1 unnumbered plate, 75-117 leaves of plates, 1 folded chart : coloured engravingsSubject(s): Medicinal Plants -- Great Britain -- England -- Early works to 1800 | Botany -- Early works to 1800 | Herbals -- 18th century | Materia Medica -- Early works to 1800 | Medicinal Plants -- Catalogues -- Early works to 1800 | Botanical Illustration -- Early works to 1800| Item type | Current library | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds |
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Early Printed Book
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RPS Library Early Printed Collection | Basement Store Shelf 47.2 (615.116:914.2 SHE) (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Not For Loan | 221595 |
With an index and list of advertisements.
Plates arranged alphabetically in order of English names, numbered 1-74, 74*, 75-117; drawn by Sheldrake and engraved by C.H. Hemerich.
Originally issued in parts.
Presumed date of publication from advertisements below index.
The table, entitled: 'The gardener's best companion in a green-house; or tables, shewing the greatest heat and cold of all countries from which exotic plants are brought ..', was originally published separately.
Price from imprint: Price coloured, Unbound, Royal - 6 0 0 Small - 4 0 0. Plain, Royal - 3 0 0 Small - 2 2 0.
English Short Title Catalog, T81690.
Some plates numbered in print top right, some numbered by hand; occasional staining and soiling. A.W. Barr stamped on front paste-down. Previous Accession Number: 37876. Previous Classmark: 615.116:769. Previous location: Basement Store Shelf 47.2.
20th century red half morocco, extremities rubbed.