Ad librum de sero lactis Stephani Roderici Castrensis Lusitani declamationes (Essays on Stephen Rodrigo de Castro's Book on Lactation and Breast Milk [BOUND WITH ANOTHER EDITION] ... Editio secunda, quam auctor suam agnoscit, auxit, emendauit (... Second, Revised and Expanded Edition)
Paris: S. Cramoisy, 1632. First edition. Hardcover. Two works in one volume (published in 1632 and 1634), octavo (6.9 by 10.8 cm.) Contemporary limp vellum; spine with manuscript title and old paper library labels; edges stained in crimson.
[1] - Ad librum de sero lactis Stephani Roderici Castrensis Lusitani declamationes (Paris: Sebastian Cramoisy, 1632). Collation: a4 A-F8 G4 (= 56 leaves); [8], 103, [1, privilegium] pp. Woodcut printer's device at title; printed marginalia. Embrowned at title-page through sig. C (p. 48), but not affecting legibility; more lightly toned at sig. G (pp. 97-103), a good copy. Rare first edition of this early commentary by Pietro Servi (d. 1648) on Tractatus de Sero Lactis, a monograph about lactation and breast milk, written by Estêvão Rodrigues de Castro (1559-1637?) and published at Florence in 1631. Born in Spoleto, Servi was an Italian physician and professor at the Roman Gymnasium. At the title-page he describes his comments as "privatae quaedam, ac domesticae exercationes" (private and domestic essays). Servi appears to have taken a noted interest in the olphactory realm, publishing an alchemical work, Dissertatio de unguento armario (A Dissertation of the Perfume Cabinet) in 1632, and a philological treatise on odors, Dissertatio philologica de odoribus, in 1641.
Estêvão Rodrigues de Castro (1559-1637?), the author of the treatise on lactation, was born in Lisbon. He studied medicine in Pisa and became professor there, where he taught until his death. "He was regarded as one of the ablest practitioners of the century and was physician to the Duke of Tuscany" (Friedenwald). He was one of a number of conversos who held distinguished positions as professors of medicine in Italy, which included Amatus Lusitanus (Ferrara), Antonio Rodrigo de Fonseca (Pisa and Padua), and Gabriel de Fonseca (Pisa and Rome). All were descendants of those Jews in Spain and Portugal who accepted baptism, but who secretly preserved loyalty to their ancient faith. The various branches of the De Castro family, in particular, furnished a large number of distinguished physicians in the early modern era.
[2] - Ad librum de sero lactis Stephani Roderici Castrensis Lusitani declamationes... Editio secunda (Rome: Francesco Corbelleti, 1634). Collation: A-K8 (= 80 leaves); 153, [7, indices] pp. Woodcut printer's device at title; printed marginalia. With a list of author's cited and a general index. Leaves 7/8 of several signatures partially unopened. Occasional mild touches of foxing, esle a nearly fine, amply margined copy. Second edition of the above work, revised and expanded by Servi. The author's anagrammatic pseudonym, Persii Trevi, which appears at the title of both editions is explained in the typographer's note on p.153, where numerals above the name indicate the proper order, i.e., Petri Servii (Petrus Servius = Pietro Servi).
Provenance and annotations: early entry at title-page first work: ex Bibl. Alatii -- perhaps Leo Allatius (1586-1689), Greek scholar, theologian and physician who was keeper of the Vatican Library; shelf number in manuscript at front paste-down; duplicate stamp of the Vatican Library at the endleaf. Very good-. Item #54456
References: H. Friedenwald, The Jews and Medicine (1967): pp. 62-3, 225, 448, 453-5; First ed. not in USTC, but cf. USTC 6003647 (Paris, re-issue of 1634); SBN ITICCUBVEE 22853 (Rome, 1634); USTC 4008563 (Rome, 1634). Cf. A. Hirsch, Lexikon, vol. 5 (1887): p. 373, for a list of works by Servi (but not the present title)
Full titles and imprints: [1] Persii Trevi Ad librum de sero lactis Stephani Roderici Castrensis Lusitani declamationes, seu privatae quaedam ac domesticae Exercitationes. Parisiis: apud Sebastianum Cramoisy, viâ Iacobaeâ, sub Ciconiis. M.DC.XXXII [1632]. -- [2] Persii Trevi Ad librum de sero lactis Stephani Roderici Castrensis Lusitani declamationes, seu privatae quaedam ac domesticae exercitationes Editio secunda, quam auctor suam agnoscit, auxit, emendavit. Romae: ex typographia Francisci Corbelletti, MDCXXXIV [1634].
Price: $2,500.00