Pharmacopoeia Bateana: or Bates's Dispensatory.

The enlarged, second edition in English of William Salmon's translation of the Pharmacopoeia Bateana.

The Pharmacopoeia, or Bate's Dispensatory, was first published posthumously in Latin in 1688. The author, George Bates (1608-1668) had lectured on anatomy at the [Royal] College of Physicians, and was a founding fellow of The Royal Society. On his death he left a collection of prescriptions, which was edited by his long-serving apothecary, Jack Shipton, into the present Pharmacopoeia and published.

'Bate's remedies encompassed medicinal waters, spirits, oils, salts, electuaries, and infusions like rosa solis, which Bate vouched was good for the heart and liver' (ODNB).

William Salmon (1644-1713) published a revised Latin edition of Bate's Pharmacopoeia in 1691, before producing this English-language translation, which first appeared in 1694. Unlike Bate, Salmon was not a licensed member of the Royal College of Physicians, preferring to market himself as a 'Professor of Physick'. At the time, the college had a monopoly over the practice of internal medicine, and Pharmacopoeia (officially sanctioned compendiums of treatments printed in Latin) were published in an effort to regulate the profession.

Unusual recipes include 'Oleum Ludi', an 'Oyle of the Gravelly Substance sticking to the bottoms of Chmaber-pots' (p.124), ostensibly a treatment for kidney-stones, and a 'Torquis Infantium', or 'Necklace for Children' made of peony and henbane roots 'to be worn at the time of breeding of Teeth' (p.719).

Second edition, enlarged; 8vo (19.5 x 13 cm); engraved plate after Frederick Hendrik van Hove, ad. to rear, MS note in pen to title, light dampstaining throughout, 2A6 with small hole with loss to a few letters of text,small loss to corner of final f. with no loss; contemporary panelled calf ruled in blind, rebacked, small dig to lower cover with slight loss, extremities a little rubbed; [16], 747, [13]pp.

ESTC R38718; Wing B1089.