(Born: Breslau, Germany, 16 August 1634; Died: Stockholm, Sweden, 3 August 1693) German physician.

Major studied medicine at Wittenberg and Leipzig, receiving his M.D. from Padua in 1660. For a period, Major had a medical practice in Hamburg, then in 1665 he was appointed Professor of Medicine at the recently founded Academy in Kiel. He held membership in the Lepoldinia Academy and died while attending the ailing Queen of Sweden.

Biographical references: ADB: 20, 112. • Poggendorff: 2, cols. 20-1.

Dissertatio Epistolica, 1664

1. Latin, 1664 [Dissertation].
Joh. Dan. Majoris | Phil. & Medic. D. | Dissertatio Epistolica | De | Cancris Et | Serpentibus | Petrefactis | Ad | Dn. D. Philippum Jaco- | bum Sachs à Lewenheimb, Medi- | dicum in Rep. Patria Vratislaviensi, | cui accessit | Responsoria Differtatio Histori- | co-Medica | Ejudem | Philippi Jacobi Sachs, | à Lewenheimb, Ph. & Med. D. | & Collegii Naturæ Curiosorum | Collegæ | De | Miranda Lapidum Natura. | [rule] | Jenæ | Sumpt. Esaiæ Fellgiebeli, Bibliop. Vratislay | Typis Johannis Nisii, Anno M DC LXIV.

8°: 110, [2] p. Title in red and black.

Rare. Major "published a dissertation on petrified crabs and snakes in the form of an epistle, to which Philipp Jakob Sachs von Löwenhaimb [1627-1672] replied in the same year with another on the marvelous nature of stones. The finding of a snake of stone in the stomach of a stag caused Major to wonder why only the snake was petrified and no portion of the stag, and to declare that human life hardly suffices to explore even a tenth part of the portents which are of daily occurence."-Thorndike

Bibliographical references: BL [987.b.7.]. • CBN: 104, col. 186. • Cobres, Deliciæ Cobresianæ, 1782: 729, 3. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 2, 7. • Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: p. 431. • LKG: XVII 104. • NLM 17th Century Books (Krivatsy): no. 7929. • Thorndike, History of Magic, 1923-58: 8, 33. • VD17: 23:295685L. • Zittel, Geschichte der Geologie, 1899: p. 22.

2. Latin, 1667 [Dissertation].
Dissertatio Medica | De | Lacte Lunæ, | quam d. 16. Novembr. 1667. boris ab 8. matut. | In Auditorio majori habendam intimant | Præses | Joh. Daniel Major, Ph. & M.D. | Anat. & Botan. Prof. P. Rev^mi & Sci^mi Episcopi | Lubecensis Archiater, | & Respondens | Joh. Andreas Sennertus, | VVittebergensis. | [rule] | Kiloni, | Typis Joach. Reumanni, Acad. Typogr.

4°: 45l.

Very rare. Dissertation defended by Johann Andreas Sennert [     -     ] at the University of Wittenberg on 16 November 1667. It appears this dissertation describes the properties of moonstone??

Bibliographical references: BL [1185.b.1.(8.)]. • LKG: XVI 122. • VD17: 1:046609X.

Naturalien-Kammern

Kunst- und Naturalien-Kammern, c1674

3. German, c1674.
JDMBMD | Unvorgreiffliches Bedencken | von | Kunst= und Natura= | lien=Kammern | ins gemein. | [ornament] | [rule] | Kiel/ | Gedruckt durch Joachim Reuman/ Acad. Buchdr.

2°: A-E⁴; 20l.; [40] p. The six initials at the beginning of the title are intertwined. The first three initials stand for Johann Daniel Major.

Contents: A1r, Title page.; A1v-A2v, Dedication.; A3r-E4v, Text.

Very rare. In this work, Major gives lists of art and natural history museums in various parts of the world, and particular descriptions of several of these. This work was reprinted in Valentini's Museum Museorum (Francofurti, 1704; v1, p. 55ff).

Bibliographical references: Murray, Museums, 1904: 3, 9. • VD17: 1:090814S.

4. German, c1674.
JDMBMD | Vorstellung etlicher | Kunst= und Natura= | lien=Kammern/ | in America und Asia. | [ornament] | [rule] | Kiel/ | Gedruckt durch Joachim Reuman/ Acad. Buchdr.

2°: A-C⁴; 12l.; [24] p. The six initials at the beginning of the title are intertwined. The first three initials stand for Johann Daniel Major.

Contents: A1r, Title page.; A1v-A2v, Dedication.; A3r-C4v, Text.

Very rare. Major provides descriptions and lists of various art and natural history collections in America and Asia. The dedication is dated Kiel, 15 November 1674. There are included chapters on the Incas in Peru, and on Montezuma in Mexico.

Bibliographical references: Baginsky, German Works Relating to America, 1942. • Deutsches Anonymen-Lexicon, 1906: 4, 11187. • Palmer, German Works on America, 1952: no. 356. • Sabin, Dictionary, 1868-1936: no. 44067. • VD17: 7:631036Z.

5. German, c1674.
JDMBMD | Vorstellung etlicher | Kunst= und Natura= | lien=Kammern/ | in Africa/ und an Gräntzen | Europæ. | [ornament] | [rule] | Kiel/ | Gedruckt durch Joachim Reuman/ Acad. Buchdr.

2°: A-D⁴; 16l.; [32] p. The six initials at the beginning of the title are intertwined. The first three initials stand for Johann Daniel Major.

Contents: A1r, Title page.; A1v-A2v, Dedication.; A3r-D4v, Text.

Very rare. Major provides descriptions and lists of various art and natural history collections in Africa and most of Europe. The dedication is dated Kiel, 31 December 1674.

Bibliographical references: VD17: 1:090821A.

6. German, c1675.
JDMBMD | Vorstellung etlicher | Kunst= und Natura= | lien=Kammern/ | in Italien | Zu Neapolis und Alt=Rom. | [ornament] | [rule] | Kiel/ | Gedruckt durch Joachim Reuman/ Acad. Buchdr.

2°: A-C⁴; 12l.; [24] p. The six initials at the beginning of the title are intertwined. The first three initials stand for Johann Daniel Major.

Contents: A1r, Title page.; A1v-A2v, Dedication.; A3r-C4v, Text.

Very rare. Major provides descriptions and lists of various art and natural history collections in Italy, and particularly the city of Neaples and ancient Rome. The dedication is dated Kiel, 19 July 1675.

Bibliographical references: VD17: 1:090816G.

Mvsevm Cimbricvm, 1688

7. German, 1688 [Collection catalog?].
Kurtzer Vorbericht/ | betreffende | D. Johann-Daniel Majors/ | [...2 lines of titles and memberships...] | Mvsevm Cimbricvm, | oder insgemein so-genennte | Kunst=Kammer/ | mit darzu-gehörigem | Cimbrischen Conferenz=Saal. | [rule] | Gedruckt zu Plöen/ | durch Tobias Schmidt/ 1688.

4°: A-F⁴ G³; 27l.; [1]-54 p. Very rare.

Contents: [1-2], Title page, verso blank.; 3-54, Text.

Reprinted in: Steckner, Cornelius, Museum Cimbricum. Aspekte des öffentlichen Museumswesen in Schleswig-Holstein, 1689-1989. [Vorgelegt von der Arbeitsgruppe Museum Cimbricum in Verbindung mit der Landesbibliothek. Hervorgegangen aus dem Seminar Museumspdagogik des Pdagogisches Institutes der Christian-Albrechts-Universitty Kiel]. Kiel, 1989, 238 p., illus.

Bibliographical references: BL [no copy listed]. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 258. • Kirschner, S., "Vom privaten Naturalienkabinett zur öffentlichen Schausammlung: Johann Daniel Majors `Museum Cimbricum' (1689)," in: Wolfschmidt, G., ed., Popularisierung der Naturwissenschaften. München, 2002. • Steckner, C., Museum Cimbricum Aspekte des öffentlichen Museumswesens in Schleswig-Holstein 1689-1989. Selbstverlag, 1989. 238 p. • VD17: 3:302797X.

8. Latin, 1689 [Latin transl.].
Mvsei Cimbrici | cum | contentis in eo Rebus selectioribus, | privatim declarandi | Aditus I. | quem | D. 26. Junii, Horis ante-ac pomerid: | Sub certâ Conditione | concedendum, | æquis talium Æstimatoribus | intimat | Ioh. Daniel Maior, | Phil. & Med. D. hujusq; Prof. P. | [rule] | Kiliæ Holsatorum, | Imprimeb. Joach. Reumann, Acad. Typogr. | 1689.

[Title of part 2 reads:]

Mvsei Cimbrici | cum | contentis in eo Rebus selectioribus, | privatim declarandi | Aditus II. | quem | D. 27. Julii, Horis ante-ac pomerid: | Sub certâ Conditione | concedendum, | æquis talium Æstimatoribus | intimat | Ioh. Daniel Maior, | Phil. & Med. D. hujusq; Prof. P. | [rule] | Kiliæ Holsatorum, | Imprimeb. Joach. Reumann, Acad. Typogr. | 1689.

2 parts. [Part 1] 4°: A⁴ B²; 6l.; [12] p. [Part 2] 4°: A⁴; 4l.; [8] p.

Contents: [Part 1] [1 pg], Title page.; [11 pgs], Text.

[Part 2] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [6 pgs], Text.

Very rare. Latin translation of Mvsei Cimbrici published in two parts and presented on 26 June 1689 and 27 July 1689, respectively.

Bibliographical references: BL [no copy listed]. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 258. • VD17: 3:302801Y.

.