1726 Physical Dictionary anatomy disease herbal medicine Blanchard Greenwood Lee

The Physical Dictionary 
Wherein the terms of anatomy, the names and causes of diseases, chirurgical instruments and their use, are accurately describ'd.
Also the names and virtues of medicinal plants, minerals, stones, gums, salts, earths, &c; the method of chusing the best drugs; the terms of chymistry, and of the apothecary's art; the various forms of medicines, and the ways of compounding them.

by Stephen Blancard, M.D. Physick-Professor at Middleburgh in Zealand

Printed for John & Benj. Sprint, London, 1726 (7th edition).

Bound in full leather.

[viii] +  370 pages, with [ii] pages publisher's adverts.


An interesting early 18thC medical dictionary, one of the first to be published. Stephen Blancard (spellings such as Stephan/Stephen Blankaart, Blanckaert, Blancart, Blancardus, and Blanchard also occur) (1650-1704) was a Dutch physician who made some significant contributions to medical science, including his demonstration of the existence of a capillary system and writing the first Dutch book on paediatrics. He began work as an apothecary, but then practised medicine in Amsterdam after graduating from the University of Franeker. His dictionary first appeared in 1679, the first English edition being published in 1684, and was particularly enduring and influential.

This volume was clearly a working book. There are numerous additions to the endpapers in an antique hand; some are illegible to me, but there is a lengthy description of belladonna (deadly nightshade), three medicinal recipes, and a list of medical terms & their brief definitions. There are a few marginal annotations (eg a reference to St John's Wort).

Interestingly, there is an inscription "Greenwoodlee near Hepstonstall in Yorkshire", which likely refers to Greenwood Lee House, substantially enlarged as a yeoman's house in the 17thC, and which is the likely context for the book's usage. 

Condition: generally well worn and somewhat fragile, though the binding is still holding, it is complete, and there are no loose pages.  A scarce survivor....