ELEONORA MARIA ROSALIA (1647-1704)

A wonderful copy from the Säfstaholm Library of this famous Hauss-Apotheke, an encyclopedia of household remedies, written by a noblewoman (the Duchess of Troppau und Jägerndorf). The book, for a long time tremendously popular with its fantastic title, was first published in 1695 in Vienna. A new edition followed in 1697 with a New Cookery Book added at the end, which was based on an anonymous Koch- und Artznei-Buch printed in 1686. The present Nuremberg edition of 1735 has an added second volume, compiled by Georg Adam Seelig. At this time princesses, duchesses, and other women of noble lineage were considered to be miracles of learning and to have a considerable knowledge of medicine. Many of these ladies collected recipes, mostly from manuscripts and printed books, but it was also a common habit to exchange recipes when paying visits. Some also wrote books, which clever publishers turned into bestsellers. One of the most noted during the Baroque Period in Germany was Eleonora Maria Rosalia, whose Granat-Apffel became a real classic. Through its many editions it came to exert an enormous influence on the art of healing and cooking in Central Europe for nearly two hundred years. The first volume is divided into two parts, the first of which gives over 400 formulas how to prepare different kinds of Wasser, Brantwein, Säfften, Latwergen, Oel, Salbe, Pflaster, Pulwer, Rauch, Purgier-Mittel, etc. The second part, Von allerhand Kranckheiten, gives in alphabetical order, from Augen-Zufällen to Zahn-Schmerzen, a variety of nerarly 1500 remedies and prescriptions for various ailments and diseases, a major part of which concerns pregnant and lying-in women, menstruation, and women’s diseaes.

Collation: Pp (4), 466, Koch-Buch [with separate title]: pp 467-588, (10) index; Second volume: pp (8), 563, (5). Titles printed in red and black, first title with engraved vignette.

Binding: Two volumes. Contemporary calf with richly gilt spines and marbled paste downs. A very fine set.

Provenance: Engraved bookplate: Säftsaholm Castle Library = Gustaf Trolle-Bonde "The Blind Excellency”. With its 20,000 volumes this was one of the greatest private libraries in Sweden. The collection was dispersed, a large part was sold at auction in Stockholm during 1921 to 1932. Stamped ".B. / v.B.” in a triangel on front fly-leaf.

References: Facsimile of the Leipzig, 1709 edition (1978) with commentary; Assion, P ´Das Arzneibuch der landgräfin Eleonore von Hessen-Darmstadt’ in Medizinhistorisches Journal, 17:4 (1982), pp 317 ff.; Neunteufel, H. ‘Das erste gedruckte Grazer Koch-Buch’ in Biblos. Österreichische Zeitschrift für Buch- ind Bibliothekswesen, 23 (1974), pp 285-97; Neunteufl, H. ‘Eleonora von Eggenberg und der Granatapfel. Eine steirische Bestsellerin aus den Barock’ in Blätter für Heimatkunde d. Hist. Ver. f. Steiermark, 51 (1977), pp 12-17; Mead, A History of Women in Medicine (1938), pp 424-5, 360.