MEDICINE Secreti di me Girolamo Caravaggio,

WITH OVER 300 MANUSCRIPT RECIPES AND POTIONS

8vo., manuscript notebook, bound in stitched soft card covers, titled with decorative devices in ink to upper cover; with highly decorative title containing floral and leaf borders and dated 1856 to the upper margin; followed by an indexed contents of [pp. xxxviii] pages, apparently later added, with alphabetised tabs, 108 hand-numbered pages, and a further [pp. xvi] unnumbered pages of recipes, some manuscript and printed clippings later affixed with glue; and a further [pp. xxii] mostly blank pages, with a couple of additional newspaper clippings and manuscript notes; covers heavily worn and stained, with loss to spine; some ink stains internally, with one small worm hole to the final (mostly blank) pages, some spotting to the fore-edge, not affecting any text; the entries in Italian throughout in a variety of hands, in both pencil and ink; a clearly used and loved compendium of family recipes. 

A fascinating collection of Girolamo Caravaggio’s ‘Secrets’, containing recipes for medicine, surgery and chemistry. With entries appearing to date from the 18th through to the early 20th century, the work encompasses at least three generations of the Caravaggio family, from Girolamo to his son Angelo, and from Angelo to his own children, the brothers Uberto and Enrico. 

Contained within some three hundred and thirty manuscript recipes and potions are Acqua della Gonorrea (Gonorrhea Water) , Acqua Mirabili per il mal degi occhi (Miraculous Water for eye ailments), Acqua Narotico (Narcotic Water) and Acqua varie de Toeletta (various toilet waters), along with Cataplasma pei tumori inflamatori (Poultice for inflammatory tumors), and Epiastro di Spermaceti (a medicated plaster dressing applied directly to the skin). In the latter 20th century section there are newspaper notices of remedies and recipes for Consiglio pratico contro le formiche (practical tips for dealing with ants), ‘olii irraciditi’ (‘corrupted oils’), and a notice of casi di incompatibilità col' antipirina (cases of incompatibility with antipyrine). In all, the present manuscript appears to be a working copy from a family-run pharmaceutical company, including distillations instructions and technical notes, among many other entries. 

A wonderful compendium of long-forgotten family recipes.

SKU: 1800284