REDI, Francesco (1626-1697/98). Osservazioni intorno alle vipere . Florence: All'Insegna della Stella, 1664. 4 o (228 x166 mm). Half-title, titlepage in red and black with engraved vignette (emblem of the Accademia della Crusca), woodcut capitals (trifling foxing). Nineteenth-century vellum-backed gray cloth boards, edges sprinkled red. Provenance : Giovanni Battista Burali, gift of Redi (inscribed at base of titlepage "Al Sr. Gio: Batta Burali d'Autore"; additional inscription on preliminary flyleaf: "Di Gio.Batt a Burali Ex munere Francisci Redi Philosophi Excellen m i Aretini"); Stewart Paton, booklabel and note of deposit dated 1933. FIRST EDITION, A PRESENTATION COPY of Redi's first book, a study of snake venom which marks "the beginning of experimental toxicology." Redi, who studied the snakes in the Medici's ducal pharmacy, "determined experimentally that, contrary to popular belief, a viper's venom had nothing to do with its bile but was manufactured in two glands...He studied the effects of snake poison, discovering it was effective only if injected into the bloodstream" (Norman), and recommended a tight ligature be applied above the bite to prevent the venom reaching the heart. The title-page vignette is found in both engraved and woodcut variants. Garrison & Morton 2102; Heirs of Hippocrates 561; NLM/Krivatsky 9460; Osler 3774; Prandi 2; Wellcome IV, p. 488; Norman 1810. [ Bound with :] REDI, Francesco. Esperienze intorno a diverse cose naturali, e particolarmente a quelle, che ci son portate dall'Indie...scritte in una Lettera al reverendissimo padre Atanasio Chircher. Florence: All'Insegna della Nave, 1671. 4 o. Half-title, titlepage in red and black with engraved Medici coat of arms, 6 full-page engraved plates (here bound before the half-title). (Minor, very light dampstains to last few leaves). FIRST EDITION of Redi's illustrated notes on certain curious botanical and zoological specimens from the East and West Indies (including star-anise, vanilla bean, chinchona leaf, and "snake stone"), written in the form of a letter to the Jesuit scientist Athanasius Kircher in Rome. Nissen ZBI 3321; NLM/Krivatsy 9444; Prandi 16; Sabin 68516; Wellcome IV, p. 488; Norman 1815.
REDI, Francesco (1626-1697/98). Osservazioni intorno alle vipere . Florence: All'Insegna della Stella, 1664. 4 o (228 x166 mm). Half-title, titlepage in red and black with engraved vignette (emblem of the Accademia della Crusca), woodcut capitals (trifling foxing). Nineteenth-century vellum-backed gray cloth boards, edges sprinkled red. Provenance : Giovanni Battista Burali, gift of Redi (inscribed at base of titlepage "Al Sr. Gio: Batta Burali d'Autore"; additional inscription on preliminary flyleaf: "Di Gio.Batt a Burali Ex munere Francisci Redi Philosophi Excellen m i Aretini"); Stewart Paton, booklabel and note of deposit dated 1933. FIRST EDITION, A PRESENTATION COPY of Redi's first book, a study of snake venom which marks "the beginning of experimental toxicology." Redi, who studied the snakes in the Medici's ducal pharmacy, "determined experimentally that, contrary to popular belief, a viper's venom had nothing to do with its bile but was manufactured in two glands...He studied the effects of snake poison, discovering it was effective only if injected into the bloodstream" (Norman), and recommended a tight ligature be applied above the bite to prevent the venom reaching the heart. The title-page vignette is found in both engraved and woodcut variants. Garrison & Morton 2102; Heirs of Hippocrates 561; NLM/Krivatsky 9460; Osler 3774; Prandi 2; Wellcome IV, p. 488; Norman 1810. [ Bound with :] REDI, Francesco. Esperienze intorno a diverse cose naturali, e particolarmente a quelle, che ci son portate dall'Indie...scritte in una Lettera al reverendissimo padre Atanasio Chircher. Florence: All'Insegna della Nave, 1671. 4 o. Half-title, titlepage in red and black with engraved Medici coat of arms, 6 full-page engraved plates (here bound before the half-title). (Minor, very light dampstains to last few leaves). FIRST EDITION of Redi's illustrated notes on certain curious botanical and zoological specimens from the East and West Indies (including star-anise, vanilla bean, chinchona leaf, and "snake stone"), written in the form of a letter to the Jesuit scientist Athanasius Kircher in Rome. Nissen ZBI 3321; NLM/Krivatsy 9444; Prandi 16; Sabin 68516; Wellcome IV, p. 488; Norman 1815.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
