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

Title

Particular processes from various experiments.

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 1700
(3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• bibid: 9962935843503681
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/918950898
• https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3jd4pq7p https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania

Origin

Date

between 1750 and 1799

Place

England?

Summary

Collection of alchemical experiments, medical prescriptions and recipes. The first section is devoted to the discussion of the 16th-century Irish alchemist William Butler's discovery and usage of the philosopher's stone and includes instructions for its preparation and application in curing ailments (p. 1-37). Subsequent sections include medical remedies such as an elixir for both fevers and smallpox (p. 65) and a salt that cures numerous illnesses such as gout, scurvy, rheumatism, and lost appetite (p. 55-56). Alchemical processes include transmutation of metals (p. 116, 143) and a method for creating a salt with many uses including reviving animals that have nearly suffocated (p. 140), removing the rancid taste from olive oil and making it sweet again (p. 140), and preserving fruits, flowers, and herbs (p. 129). Other sections contain instructions for making essence of vipers (p. 66) and how to create a perpetually burning light (p. 147). Also includes an alphabetical index (p. 280-291).

Notes

• Ms. codex.
   
• Title from title page (p. i).
   

Extent

141 leaves : 227 x 186 mm bound to 236 x 195 mm +

Foliation

Paper, 141 leaves; [ii], 1-130, 140-197, [198-291]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.

Support

Paper

Binding

Contemporary parchment. Front and back pastedowns have come loose.

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. 618, 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
• Manuals (instructional materials)
• Prescriptions
• Recipes
• Manuscripts, European
• Manuscripts, English

Keywords

• 18th century
• English
• England
• Paper
• Alchemy
• Science -- Medicine

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1700: Particular processes from various experiments. 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 ©2017 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