(Born: St. Elpidio, Mark Ancona, Italy, 1550; Died: Rome, Italy, c1600) Italian physician & botanist.

From 1567 to 1600, Bacci was a professor of botany at the University of Rome. There he lectured on poisons and described the curative properties of spas, mineral springs and baths. He was one of the personal physicians to Pope Sixtus V.

Biographical references: ABI: I 88, 247-282; II S 6, 177. • Catalogue of Portraits of Naturalists: 135 [1 portrait listed]. • Jöcher, Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1750-51. • Mazzuchelli, Gli Scrittori d'Italia, 1753-63. • Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer). • Poggendorff: 1, cols. 83-4. • Thomas, Dictionary of Biography, 1884: 246. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: 82.

Le XII Pietre Pretiose, 1587

1. Italian, 1587.
Le XII. Pietre | Pretiose, | Le Qvali Per Ordine Di Dio Nella | santa legge, adornauano i vestimenti del | sommo Sacerdote. | Aggiunteui Il Diamante, Le Margarite, | e l'Oro, poste da S. Giouanni nell' Apocalisse, in figura della celeste Gie- | rusalemme: Con vn sommario dell' altre pietre pretiose. | Discorso Dell' Alicorno, Et Delle Sve | singolarissime virtù. Et della gran Bestia detta Alce | da gli Antichi. | Di Andrea Bacci Medico Et Filosofo. | All'Illvstriss. Et Reverendis. | S. Aleßandro Peretti Cardinal Mont' Alto. | [vignette] | Con Licenza Dei Svperiori. | [rule] | In Roma, Appreßo Bartolomeo Grassi M.D.LXXXVII.

4°: †⁴ A-Q⁴ R⁶; 74l.; [8], [1]-130, [10] p., printer's device on title page and verso of last leaf, ornamental initials and head- and tailpieces. Colophon: In Roma, Nella stamparia di Vincenzo Accolti, In Borgo nouo. M.D.LXXXVII. Page size: 226 x 152 mm.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [6 pgs], Dedication, dated 15 June 1587.; 1-130, Text.; [1 pg], "All' Illvstrissimo, | Et Reverendissimo | ..."; [1 pg], Blank.; [7 pgs], Table of contents.; [1 pg], "Registro."-with woodcut device and colophon.

Very scarce. The twelve gemstones of the High Priest's breast plate are discussed in the first part of the text (pp. 1-37). This is followed (pp. 38-110) by a long discussion of unicorns, being an update of the author's previous De Monocerote sive Unicornu (Venetia, 1566). A description of large beasts concludes the text proper (pp. 111-130). A laudatory poem, table of contents and register with a woodcut device conclude the work.

Another issue, 1587: Same as the volume described but with the imprint on the title page, Rome, G. Martinelli, V. Accolti, 1587.

Wolfgang Gabelkhover. (Born: Memmingen, Germany, 3 September 1539; Died: Stuttgart, Germany, 31 December 1616) German physician & naturalist. Gabelkover studied natural history, philology and medicine. He was city physician in Göppingen, before being appointed house physician and historian at the court in Württemberg. He authored medical publications and a tract on the unicorn.

Bibliographical references: BL [956.g.2.]. • Hoover Collection: no. 70. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 65. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 280. • Wellcome Catalog (Books): 1, no. 605. (Gabelkhover) Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer): 16, 213. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 826.

2. Latin, 1603 [Latin transl., 1st edition].
Andreae Baccii | Elpidiani | Philosophi, | Medici Et Civis Ro- | mani, De Gemmis Et Lapi- | dibus pretiosis, eorumq; viribus | & vsu tractatus, Italica lin- | gua conscriptus: | Nvnc Vero Non Solvm | in Latinum sermonem conuersus verum at- | iam utilissimis annotationibus & | obseruationibus auctior | redditus. | A Wolfgango Gabel- | chovero, Medicinæ Doctore | & Physico Calvvensi ordinario. | Cui accessit disputatio, de generatione auri in locis sub- | terraneis, illusqz temperamente. | [ornament] | Francofvrti | Ex officina Matthiæ Beckeri, impensis | Nicolai Steinii, | [rule] | Anno M. DC. III.

4°: A-Q⁸; 128l.; [1]-231, [25] p., ornamental initials, head- and tailpieces.

Very scarce. Translated by W. Gabelkover from Le XII Pietre Pretiose (Roma, 1587).

Bibliographical references: BL [987.b.30.]. • CBN: 6, col. 116. • Hoover Collection: no. 71. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 65. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 281. • VD17: 39:117694Q. • Ward & Carozzi, Geology Emerging, 1984: no. 94. • Wellcome Catalog (Books): 1, no. 608.

3. Latin, 1643 [Latin transl., 2nd edition].
Andreæ Bacci | Elpidiani | Philosophi, Me- | dici Et Civis Roma- | ni, De Gemmis Et Lapi- | dibus pretiosis, eorum'qz viribus & | vsv tractatus, Italica lingua | conscriptus: | Nvnc Vero In Latinum | Sermonem conversus. | A Wolfgango Gabel- | chovero, | Medicineæ | Doctore. | [vignette] | Francofvrti, | Apud Johannem Davidem | Zunnerum. | [rule] | Anno M.DC. XLIII.

8°: A-P⁸ Q⁶; 126l.; [1]-231, [23] p.

Very scarce. Reprint of the 1603 edition.

Bibliographical references: Freilich Sale Catalog: no. 30. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 282.

.