#treat #interested #history #medicine
In the book »Läkekonst och vetenskap«, author Ove Hagelin takes us on an exciting and unique journey of discovery into the innermost recesses of medical historical literature among the Hagströmer Library’s treasures. Ove Hagelin, honorary doctor of medicine at the Karolinska Institute and initiator of the Hagströmer Library, is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic pedagogue who, through his long-standing book school, has succeeded in presenting the library’s books to a wider audience.
Now the gold nuggets from Ove’s book school have been compiled in an exciting, interesting and fun book with extracts from original editions of medical literature’s milestones where valuable, original and unusual books are mixed with pure curiosities. Short descriptive summaries of the works and their place in history are presented here. We also get to follow the often dramatic history of the books: how they finally ended up at the Hagströmer Library via auctions, donations or as spoils of war.
As soon as you flip through the book, you get the feeling of stepping into another world, filled with exciting stories from a bygone era. Here are excerpts from Bartisch’s »Ophthalmodouleia, Das ist Augendienst« from 1583, the first modern work on eye surgery, which is classified as one of the Hagströmer Library’s greatest treasures. You can also find the most magnificent herbal book of the 16th century by Leonhart Fuchs, 517 pages of hand-colored full-page woodcuts with protective leaves that make it extremely thick and heavy – 8.9 kg!
We can also read about a rare book that describes the fabled double coconut from the Seychelles. It was considered the most erotic knot created by nature, as sailors thought it resembled a woman’s tail. For the curiously interested, a copy is available for viewing at the National Museum of Natural History.
The book also hides Paullini’s »Neu-Vermehrte Heylsame Dreck-Apothecke«, which is described as one of the filthiest books in world literature. Here we can read about recipes and case descriptions with cures and remedies consisting of various excrement, earwax, sweat, snot and blood from both humans and animals. How about butter-fried wort for diarrhea?
In addition to this, we also get to read about a real rarity, »Grande anatomia del corpo« by Mascagni, which depicts the human in life size with enormous detail and which is said to be the most magnificent and expensive anatomical atlas ever published. Here, how the atlas was created is described in a colorful way, and the magnificent illustrations are also shown in detailed color images.
Among these gems also hides the lesser-known book »Hans Nicolaus Ris Res- och lefvernes-besrifning«, which is said to be one of the most impenetrable books published in the Swedish language. The book is mentioned in the book »Gamla Stockholm« by Claes Lundin and August Strindberg, who write that »no one other than possibly the author himself has been able to read through these 240 pages, each of which is filled with noble nonsense«.
The book »Medical Art and Science« is a very beautiful, lavish and well-written book with lots of illustrations on thick, elegant paper and with interesting and fascinating content. A book for your own bookshelf, but also a perfect gift book for those who want to increase their medical historical and literary general education. The book is a treat for those who enjoy curiosities and medical history.
Lakartidningen.se 2024-02-09
