Collection ID: 0002 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Alchemical compendium.

Authors

• Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Other related names

• Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner
• Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner (http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr93028960)

Call number

Ms. Codex 1690
(3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• bibid: 9962935753503681
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913875391
• https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3tt4fz1n https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania

Origin

Date

1797

Place

England

Summary

Instructions for alchemical processes such as transmutation, sublimation, and multiplication, with practical applications such as curing diseases (p. 15), embalming bodies (p. 31), and neutralizing viper venom and poisonous black hellebore (p. 34). Includes an alphabetical index (p. 631-642).

Notes

• Title supplied by cataloger.
   
• Ms. codex.
   

Extent

324 leaves : 234 x 176 (208 x 131) mm bound to 248 x 195 mm

Foliation

Paper, 324 leaves; [iv], 1-321, 321-336, [337-643]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.

Support

Paper

Binding

Contemporary half leather with marbled paper boards. Upper cover and first leaf nearly detached.

Layout

Written in 18-19 long lines.

Decoration

Pen and ink drawing of the Hand of the Philosopher, an alchemical emblem signifying apotheosis (p. 193); drawings of alchemical apparatus and symbols throughout.

Script

Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford.

Provenance

• Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.
   
• Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 602, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).
   
• Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.
   

Subjects topical

• Alchemy--Early works to 1800
• Alchemy
• Occultism--Early works to 1800
• Occultism

Genres

• Codices
• Diagrams
• Drawings (visual works)
• Manuals (instructional materials)
• Manuscripts, European
• Manuscripts, English

Keywords

• 18th century
• English
• England
• Diagrams
• Paper
• Alchemy

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1690: Alchemical compendium. are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  Metadata is ©2018 University of Pennsylvania Books & Manuscripts and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Decorations

• 193 — Drawing, Hand of the Philosopher, p. 193