JOHANNES SCHULTES ARMAMENTARIUM CHIRGICUM 1665 – 5th EDITION

SCARCE FIFTH EDITION OF THE MOST WIDELY PUBLISHED ILLUSTRATED TREATISE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ABOUT SURGERY, ARMAMENTARIUM CHIRGICUM JOHANN SCHULTES 1665 [HE IS ALSO CALLED JOHANN SCULTETUS WHEN LATINIZED]

Schultes, Johann. Cheiroplothēkē seu d. Ioannis Sculteti, physici & chirurgi apud Vlmenses olim felicissimi Armamentarium chirurgicum, 43 tabulis aeri elegantissime incisis, nec ante hac visis, exornatum.

Opus posthumum, medicinae pariter ac chirurgiae studiosis perutile & necessarium, in quo tot, tam veterum ac recentiorum instrumenta ab authore correcta, quam nouiter ab ipso inuenta, quot fere hodie ad vsitatas operationes manuales feliciter peragendas requiruntur, depicta reperiuntur, cum annexa breui tabularum descriptione, & sequentibus cautionibus ac curationibus chirurgico medicis per omnes fere corporis humani partes externas obseruatis […].

Editio quinta.Venetiis: typis Combi, & La Nou, 1665.8vo (200×124 mm), contemporary paper boards, with handwritten title at spine; pp. [24], 317, [11], [16] leaves of plates.

Chalcographic full page frontispiece. Printer’s woodcut at title-page. Xyl. initials, head- and final pieces. Illustrated with 44 beautiful chalcographic plates (28 in the text and 16 out of text).
First word of title in Greek types. Other work in the book: “Obseruationum chirurgicarum centuria, confirmans & dilucidans ea, quae in superiorum tabularum descriptione breuiter dicta sunt” by Johann Schultes.

Fifth edition of the work Armamentarium Chirurgicum by Johnanes Schultes [latinized last name is Scultetus], first published 10 years before in folio format, which: “Contains a complete catalogue of all known surgical instruments of the period, of the methods of bandaging and splinting, and of a vast number of operative procedures […] amputation of the breast, reduction of dislocations, passage of sounds, forceps delivery of dead fetuses and neurosurgery […] Schultes’ work became the most widely published illustrated treatise on surgery of the seventeenth century” (Norman 1912).

Johannes Schultheiss (or Schultes, Latinized to Scultetus, 1595-1645) was one of the first academically trained physicians and surgeons in Germany in the 17th century. After his studies at the University of Padua under Adrian van Spieghel and Fabricius ab Aquapendente he became official physician of his home town of Ulm. His remarkable textbook on surgery, the “Armamentarium chirurgicum” was first published 10 years after his death and passed through many editions and translations all over Europe.

Armamentarium Chirurgicum Johnanes Schultes 1665 5th Edition contains a complete catalogue of surgical instruments, illustrated demonstrations of a variety of operative procedures and 100 case reports. The success of Scultetus’ publication was responsible for an improved standard of the education of the nonacademic barber surgeons, who were treating the majority of the population, and was a significant milestone for the development of surgery as an academic speciality.

Provenance: Handwritten ownership inscription at title-page (B. Lunghetti).

References: IT\ICCU\UFIE\000788. OCLC, 5289455 (10 copies in USA), 504526783 (1 copy in UK) and 632764955 (1 copy in Germany).

Light traces of use to the binding. Occasional spots at some leaves. Untrimmed edges. Overall a very good copy.

Note the Natan Schleider Gallery Collection has a book of identical title but this is from 1889 and is a surgical supply catalog by George Tiemann & Co: https://antiquemedicalinstruments.com/antique_catalogs/the-american-armamentarium-chirurgicum-by-george-tiemann-co-new-york-n-y-published-1889-by-george-tiemann-co-in-new-york-rare-ex-libris-surgeon-general-office-with-hand-painted-colorful-out/

Here is a link to an article about this book in the Journal of the American Medical Association: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1165503