FOREEST, Pieter van (1522-1597)

First edition. An Antwerp 1583 edition listed in both Hirsch and Lindeboom must be a mistake, as the six-page-dedication to Jan van Heurne in the beginning of this 1589 edition is dated Delft, September, 1588. This work is one of the most important among Forestus’ many writings and is a fierce attack on uroscopic quacks, including Paracelsus. The title of the English translation in 1623 is: The Arraignement of Urines: wherein are set downe the manifold errors and abuses of ignorant Urine monging Empiricks, cozening Quacksalvers, women-physitian, and the like stuffe .. .” Pieter van Foreest (Petrus Forestus) was born in Alkmaar. He studied in Lovain and later in Bologna, where he recieved his doctor’s degree in medicine. He was a pupil and colleague of Vesalius. Forestus practiced 12 years in Alkmaar and, then at the request of the city authorities of Delft he was asked to move his practice to Delft, which he also did. At the founding of the University of Leyden, he was offered the chair of medicine but declined. He stayed for 40 years in Delft, but then returned back to Alkmaar, where he died. Forestus was an outstanding clinician and is sometimes called ”The Dutch Hippocrates”. “Forestus practiced uroscopy with discretion, emphasizing its important and valid features. He distinguished between hematurias of renal and vesical origin which he attributed to the rupture of veins. A diagnosis of gonococcal pyelitis is suggested by his description of an ulcer of the kidney, with tertian fever, following gonorrhea. His autopsy finding, de quadam duritie renis sinistri, may have been a renal tumor.” (Murphy)

Collation: Pp (24), 316, (2) Appendix. Plantin’s woodcut device on title with Labore et Constantia in mirror writing. One full-page woodcut depicting a urine bottle.

Binding: Contemporary vellum.

Provenance: Johan Salberg (1741-1810).

References: Murphy, The History of Urology, p 147; Kiefer 207; Durling 1604; Wellcome 2358. Dordick Cat. 51-34; (sept. 2004). Waller 3124.