.jpg?w=1)
Details
WEYER, Johann (1515-1588). De praestigiis daemonum, et incantationibus, ac veneficiis. Basel: Johannes Oporinus, 1563.
8° (169 x 104mm). Italic, Greek and Hebrew types. (Small marginal repair in h1, occasional light spotting, occasional underlining.) Contemporary German blindtooled pigskin dated 1563 on upper cover, sides with saints' roll and fleur-de-lis, title written on fore-edge (without two fore-edge ties, a little rubbed, small wormhole); modern blue half morocco box. Provenance: Christopher Aschienus of Ulm (inscriptions, 1588) -- Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach (scholar and bibliophile, 1683-1734; engraved bookplate depicting Uffenbach's library) -- Prof. Georgius Sticker, M.D. of Münster (book-label, blindstamp, 1890 signature).
FIRST EDITION of an important work on witchcraft and demonology, and a precursor of modern psychiatry. A student of medicine and protégé of Agrippa, Weyer 'believed the basic cause of witchcraft to be disturbance of imagination'. He relates 60 cases of withcraft or mental phenomena, describing the accused as usually poor, gullible women, and he advocates a rational approach, establising and confirming facts, observing physical, behavioural and emotional traits, in order to formulate 'a concrete and sensible plan of treatment [along] what we would now describe as psychological principles' (Grolier Medicine, 20). Adams W-144; Garrison-Morton 4916; NLM/Durling 4734; Normal 2209.
8° (169 x 104mm). Italic, Greek and Hebrew types. (Small marginal repair in h1, occasional light spotting, occasional underlining.) Contemporary German blindtooled pigskin dated 1563 on upper cover, sides with saints' roll and fleur-de-lis, title written on fore-edge (without two fore-edge ties, a little rubbed, small wormhole); modern blue half morocco box. Provenance: Christopher Aschienus of Ulm (inscriptions, 1588) -- Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach (scholar and bibliophile, 1683-1734; engraved bookplate depicting Uffenbach's library) -- Prof. Georgius Sticker, M.D. of Münster (book-label, blindstamp, 1890 signature).
FIRST EDITION of an important work on witchcraft and demonology, and a precursor of modern psychiatry. A student of medicine and protégé of Agrippa, Weyer 'believed the basic cause of witchcraft to be disturbance of imagination'. He relates 60 cases of withcraft or mental phenomena, describing the accused as usually poor, gullible women, and he advocates a rational approach, establising and confirming facts, observing physical, behavioural and emotional traits, in order to formulate 'a concrete and sensible plan of treatment [along] what we would now describe as psychological principles' (Grolier Medicine, 20). Adams W-144; Garrison-Morton 4916; NLM/Durling 4734; Normal 2209.
Brought to you by
Eugenio Donadoni