MERCURIO, Scipione (Girolamo, c. 1540–1615)

A reissue of the first German edition from 1652. Mercurio’s La commare is the first manual for midwives in Italian and went through at least twenty editions in that language up to 1713. Gottfried Welsch’s translation into German, with additions and enlarged with new copperplates, became very popular and went through four editions. The first edition of La Comare was published in Venice in 1596 and is a very rare book known to exist in only four copies. In the light of modern obstetrics Mercurio’s La comare stands in the first rank of sixteenth century texts and even with the best of those of the seventeenth century and is of importance for the study of the history of the Caesarean section. Mercurio studied medicine at Bologna and Padua but soon entered the Dominican Monastery at Milan and became a monk. The monastic life did not afford him sufficient opportunities for the practice of medicine and he soon left the monastery and travelled widely in Spain and France as personal physician to an officer. After his return to Italy he practised with great success in Padua and Milan. The last fifteen years of his life he was settled in Venice where he lived within the walls of a monastery engaged in active practice of obstetrics. He is said to have introduced the operation of Caesarian section on living women in Italy. The book contains description and illustrations of the "hanging-legs” position for delivery in cases of contracted pelvis, which G. A.Walcher published in 1889 as something entirely new, and also for the position in which very fat women should be placed for delivery, a position even practising acrobats could hardly maintain for more than a quarter of an hour.

Collation: Pp (32) incl. additional engraved title-leaf, 844 [pp 640-647 omitted in the pagination]. With XXIII engraved plates. The engraved title is signed Johann Reinhold Schildknecht.

Binding: Contemporary vellum.

References: Ricci, The Development of Gynaecological Surgery and Instruments, 1949, pp 306-07, 343-45; Cutter & Veits, A History of Midwifery, 1964, pp 231-32; Thornton & Reeves, Medical Book Illustration, 1983, p 108; Hahn & Dumaitre, Histoire de la Medicine et du Livre Medicale, 1962, pp 351, 356; Hagelin, Womans Booke, 140-43; Facsimile edition in Editions Medicina Rara, 1988 (with comments to the plates). Garrison-Morton 6144 (1596 ed.); Spencer, The Renaissance of Midwifery, pp 26-36; Cutter & Viets, p. 220; Thoms, Classical Contributions to Obstetrics, pp 105-12; Findley, Priests of Lucina, pp 107-13; Speert, Obstetrics and GynecolRicci, The Development of Gynaecological Surgery and Instruments, 1949, pp 306-07, 343-45; Cutter & Veits, A History of Midwifery, 1964, pp 231-32; Thornton & Reeves, Medical Book Illustration, 1983, p 108; Hahn & Dumaitre, Histoire de la Medicine et du Livre Medicale, 1962, pp 351, 356; Hagelin, Womans Booke, 140-43; Facsimile edition in Editions Medicina Rara, 1988 (with comments to the plates).Revised Second Edition of Iconographia Gyniatrica, p. 234 and 515; Hagelin, Womans Booke, pp 30-33, Waller 6494 (1618 ed.). Waller 6494 (1618 ed.) and 6496 (2nd German ed., 1671).