Database of alchemical Iconography
41 Johann Daniel MYLIUS.
Opus medico-chymicum: Continens tres Tractatus sive Basilicas: Quorum prior inscribitur Basilica Medica. Secundus Basilica Chymica. Tertius Basilica Philosophica.
4� Francofurti: apud Lucam Iennis 1618
[Contains:-
1. Tractatus primus, seu Basilica Medica continens Tres Libros seu Partes de salutifera Medicina Antiqua Hippocratica:1. Physiologiam. 2. Pathologiam. 3. Therapeuticam. succincte demonstrat.
2. Tractatus II. Seu Basilica Chymica continens Lib. VII. 1. Anatomiam Auri. 2. Argenti & Mercurii. 3. Iovis, Martis ac Veneris. 4. Tractat de gemmis. 5. Examinat mineralia. 6. Vegetabilia resoluit. 7. Animalia explicat.
3. Basilica Philosophica continens Libros Tres. 1. Philosophorum ac Sapientum antiquorum Consilia super Lapidem Philosophorum, seu Medicam universalem. 2. Chymicorum Vasa et Fornaces. 3. Qu�dam Philosophorum obscura.]
41 illustrations - 22 symbolic - 18 equipment
Basilica Medica.
1. p[1] Engraved titlepage. 181x137mm.
2. p[8] Engraving. 161x121mm. Portrait of Mylius, aged 33 in 1618.
Basilica Chymica.
3. p[1] of Basilica Chymica. Engraving. 68x95mm. The twelfth key of Basil Valentine. This plate was first used in Maier's 'Tripus Aureus'.
4. Folding sheet inserted at the beginning of the second part of the preface to the Basilica Chymica. Engraving. 167x327mm. The days of Creation shown in 10 circular emblems. With letterpress below, quoting verses from Genesis. This plate was later used in the 'Musaeum Hermeticum' 1625, but with the line of text at the top 'Haec tabula pertinet in secundam partem praefationis Basilicae Chymicae' erased.
5. Folding sheet inserted at the beginning of the third part of the preface to the Basilica Chymica. Engraving. 198x277mm. 'Mundus Archetypus' and 'Mundus Inttelligentiarum'. This plate was later used in the 'Musaeum Hermeticum' 1625, but with the line of text at the top 'In praefationem secundam Basilicae Chymicae' erased.
6. Folding sheet inserted at the beginning of the fourth part of the preface to the Basilica Chymica. Engraving. 277x276mm. 'Mundus Elementaris'. This plate was later used in the 'Musaeum Hermeticum' 1625, but with the line of text at the top 'In praefationem secundam Basilicae Chymicae' erased.
Basilica Philosophica.
7. Engraving on titlepage. 67x92mm. ??? key of Basil Valentine. (with women seated on two lions). This plate was first used in Maier's 'Tripus Aureus'.
8. p[8] Engraving. 148x96mm. Item 20 from Maier 'Tripus aureus'.
9. Folding sheet inserted after p[8]. Engraving 260x342mm. 'M. Merian fecit'. Microcosm and macrocosm. This plate was later used in the 'Musaeum Hermeticum' 1625, but with the line of text at the top 'In praefationem tertiam Basilicae Philosophicae' erased.
Inserted at end of the Preface to the third tractate are a series of 10 engravings, items 10-19, each being divided into 16 circular emblematic seals associated with important figures in alchemy. These plates were reprinted in Grasshof 'Dyas chemica tripartita' and later cut up and used by Stolcius in his 'Hortulus hermeticus', 1627.
10. 161x127mm. Number 1. Emblems 1-16.
11. 161x127mm. Number 2. Emblems 17-32.
12. 161x127mm. Number 3. Emblems 33-48.
13. 161x127mm. Number 4. Emblems 49-64.
14. 161x127mm. Number 5. Emblems 65-80.
15. 161x127mm. Number 6. Emblems 81-96.
16. 161x127mm. Number 7. Emblems 97-112.
17. 161x127mm. Number 8. Emblems 113-128.
18. 162x127mm. Number 9. Emblems 129-144.
19. 161x127mm. Number 10. Emblems 145-160.
20. p71 Woodcut. 41x42mm. Hexagram in a circle with the centre numbered '4' and the vertices 1-3 and 5-7, and linked by a key to seven archangels.
21. p72 Woodcut. 40x42mm. Hexagram in a circle with the planetary symbols corresponding to the archangels.
22. p74 Engraving. 84x93mm. Three circles. The first is that of the Nature of God with a downward-pointing triangle labelled Pater, Filius, Spiritus Sanctus. The second is that of man with an upward-pointing triangle, labelled body, soul and spirit. The third triangle has two intersecting triangles.
23. p77 Woodcut. 31x55mm. The symbols of the seven planets are placed in a row. Links are shown between, Saturn and the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury, Mars and Venus.
24. p195 Engraving. 155x136mm. Drawings of many examples of furnaces, illustrating chapter 2.
25. Inserted after p214. Engraving on folding sheet. 162x153mm. Drawing of different forms of furnace. The first plate illustrating chapter 3.
26. Inserted after item 25. Engraving on folding sheet. 161x152mm. Drawing of different forms of furnace. The second plate illustrating chapter 3.
27. Inserted after item 26. Engraving on folding sheet. 161x154mm. Drawing of different forms of furnace. The third plate illustrating chapter 3.
28. Inserted after item 27. Engraving on folding sheet. 161x151mm. Drawing of different forms of furnace. The fourth plate illustrating chapter 3.
29. p218 Engraving. 111x99mm. Drawings of furnaces, illustrating chapter 4.
30. p223 Engraving. 156x130mm. Drawings of furnaces, illustrating chapter 5.
31. p227 Engraving. 158x128mm. Various pieces of apparatus associated with furnaces, illustrating chapter 6.
32. p236 Engraving. 158x129mm. Various distillation apparatus, illustrating chapter 7.
33. Inserted on folding sheet after item 32. Engraving. 156x257mm. Various multiple distillation apparatus, illustrating chapter 7.
34. Inserted after item 33. 157x128mm. Various distillation apparatus, illustrating chapter 7.
35. Inserted on folding sheet after p242. Engraving. 157x259mm. Various items of apparatus for distillation, filtration etc., illustrating chapter 8.
36. p251 Engraving. 156x127mm. Various furnaces, illustrating chapter 9.
37. Inserted before p257. Engraving. 155x124mm. Various items of apparatus, illustrating chapter 10.
38. p257 Engraving. 158x128mm. Various items of apparatus, illustrating chapter 10.
39. p260 Engraving. 156x131mm. Various items of glassware, flasks, alembics, retorts and crucibles, illustrating chapter 11.
40. p265 Engraving. 156x130mm. Various items of apparatus, furnace chambers and glassware, flasks, alembics, and retorts, illustrating chapter 12.
41. p272 Engraving. 156x133mm. Various items of apparatus, filtering funnels, retorts, tongs, ladles, etc.
