Beschreibung:

Liquor Alchahest, oder ein Discurs von den unsterblichen Dissolvente oder der aufl�senden Materie des Paracelsi und Helmontii, 1st edition in German, Nuremberg: Johann Zieger, 1686, bound after: Amelung (Heinrich Christian), Chymische Untersuchung, von dem Unterscheid des Philosoph. und Mineralischen Antimonii, wie auch des Mercurii Philosophorum & vulgaris, 1st edition, Dresden: Michael G�nther, 1690, 2 works in 1 volume, woodcut head- and tailpieces and initials, spotting and browning, closely trimmed throughout, partially cropping pagination, running heads and the first line of the title in Starkey, and the last letter of each line in leaves B6 recto and C3 verso of Amelung, Starkey title page with additional chip in fore margin not affecting text, Amelung title page laid down and with the blind stamp of the British National Association of Spiritualists, contemporary sheep, gilt spine, worn overall, spine-label chipped, headcaps restored at an early date, 12mo (12 x 7 cm) Ferguson II p. 402 for the first edition of Starkey's text (London, 1675) and I pp. 30-1 for Amelung; DSB VI pp. 616-7 for Starkey. Sammelband of two rare 17th-century alchemical treatises, three copies of this edition of Starkey's work (BL, Glasgow, Manchester) and four copies of Amelung's (Sheffield, Strathclyde, UCL and Wellcome) found in UK libraries; neither traced in auction records. Starkey (1628-1665) was born on Bermuda but raised in North America, and studied at Harvard College before emigrating to London and joining the circle of Samuel Hartlib. His works 'became classics of alchemical literature' (DSB). Ferguson was unable to provide a biographical notice for Amelung, though his work is dedicated to nobleman Friedrich Adolph von Haugwitz (1637-1707) and contains over 30 extracts from Bernard Trevisan, Nicolas Flamel, and others. (1)