Zbigniew Bela

The paper addresses the translation into Polish of famousThe Secrets ofthe Reverend Maister Alexis of Piedmont (Venice, 1555), by Marcin Siennik, which seems to be rather far removed both from the Italian original, and the other translations into major European languages. In the Author’s view this gives sufficient grounds to place it very much on a par with a number of other manipulations perpetrated against this book, especially those attempted in the late 16th c. by its successive Italian publishers, which consequently proved instrumental in having its original character greatly distorted.

The article presents 23 antique pharmaceutical vessels from the Kraków’s Museum of Pharmacy. The whole collection consists of 83 vessels, which in 1976 were donated to the Museum by Bronisław Mateusz Grabowski, a pharmacist and an art collector. Apart from the information about the donor as well as the major types of majolica pharmaceutical vessels, the article presents the pictures of the selected vessels and their descriptions which are made up of such elements as the type of a vessel, its size, character of decoration, the place and time of origin and the explanation of the inscription (name of medicament, its composition and application).

The article consists of four elements: description of the jar (type, character of decoration, provenance etc.), explanation of the inscription (the name of a former multi-ingredient medication), information about its principal ingredient (kermes and its substitutes: cochineal and Polish cochineal), and the history of the medication (from antiquity to the end of the 19th century).

Born in Bologna, educated at Bologna and Padua universities, Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522–1605), is generally known as a naturalist and biologist, the author a great work: Natural History, in which he aimed to contain his entire knowledge of nature. Aldrovandi was a man of very receptive mind, thoroughly educated and thus he was appointed to various offices throughout his life. He was the Head of the Chair of Natural Sciences at the Bologna University. He contributed to the opening of the municipal botanical garden of which he was the director for many years. While holding the office of Protomedicus, he compiled the first Bologna’s pharmacopoeia which is still binding in the city. He spent most of his free time and funds on travelling and collecting materials for his Natural History. His steadily growing collection of books, manuscripts, drawings and natural exhibits was displayed in his own house and was available to visitors. In his last will, Aldrovandi bequeathed his natural collection and library to the Senate of Bologna which transferred the collection to the Municipal Palace. The surviving exhibits and prints are now kept at the Palazzo Poggi and the University Library in Bologna.
 

The article is a continuation of the subject connected with the work of Ulissess Aldrovandi focusing on Polish scholars’ contribution to enrich his collection. Some specimens and prints he could not find personally, he received thanks to his friendship and correspondence with fellow scientists, former students and travellers interested in his work and in visiting his museum. Thanks to his Polish contacts, Aldrovandi could also extend his collection by specimens from Poland. The Professor of the Kraków Academy, Marcin Fox, who met the naturalist during his studies in Bologna, was particularly instrumental in acquiring exhibits.
The exchange of letters and nature exhibits between the scientists continued from 1579 to 1588.