The Art of Distillation:

well-illustrated

Third edition, enlarged from the first edition of 1651, of this work on the distillation of pharmaceuticals by the English physician John French (1616-1657). With numerous attractive woodcuts in the text.

'In an era in which conventional approaches to the study and practice of medicine were under considerable attack, French seems to have aligned himself firmly with the cause of reform. In particular, he was a keen advocate of the chemical methods pioneered by Paracelsus and Van Helmont, whose ideas, and those of their followers, he attempted to popularize in the 1650s through original works and translations. From the late 1640s he was also closely associated with the circle of Samuel Hartlib, and was well respected by many, including Robert Boyle, for his expertise in the practical side of chemistry and mineralogy. According to Hartlib, French knew "all the places for Minerals in England, and hath a great store of all manner of Oares" (Ephemerides of Samuel Hartlib, 1648, Hartlib MS 31/22/32A). Such was French's devotion to the new science of chemistry that in his The Art of Distillation (1651) he dubbed it the 'true naturall philosophy' which, he suggested, ought to replace 'that empty naturall philosophy which is read in the Universities' (French, Art of Distillation, sigs. A2v–A3r) (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

Third edition; 4to (17.75 x 12.75 cm); woodcuts throughout the text, short contemporary manuscript word to the front blank, small piece torn from title slightly affecting the text, contents trimmed closely, grazing some headings in the second book, textblock a little cockled; recent half roan, marbled sides, red morocco label, 5 raised bands, marbled endpapers, edges dyed red, binding a little rubbed and scuffed, very good condition.