Bibliographie der Alchemistischen Literatur bd. 1

Alchemy has a reputation as the playground of gold making charlatans. On the other hand, it also has its place in the early history of modern-day science and medicine. For the 16th century physician Paracelsus, for example, alchemy was an important basis for studying medicine. Further, the pursuit of alchemy resulted in the development of new techniques and inventions, such as the production of porcelain. However, alchemy should be understood primarily as an independent form of holistic thinking. Attempts to define it clearly as a scientific discipline are inevitably frustrated, since the reasoning upon which alchemy is based encompasses all known branches of science. The Bibliographie der alchemistischen Literatur is the first complete bibliography to be devised for all alchemistic literature. Until now only certain facets, individual authors, themes or periods have been dealt with. Upon completion, this three-volume work will provide the first reliable survey of the entire range of alchemistic works. Alone the first volume contains 2,670 titles. Volume 1 records printed works from the very beginnings of book printing up to 1690, partly provided with short biographies on the authors and cover illustrations. Among these are numerous titles not previously included in bibliographies, such as those offered for sale internationally in auctions and antiquarian book catalogues. Detailed information is provided on the availability of individual titles in libraries as well as references to reference works and catalogues. The author was able to locate an especially magnificent work, the elaborately designed Amphitheatrum by Heinrich Khunrath from the year 1595, in five libraries. This is also the only bibliography to record the first edition of Coenders van Helpen