(Born: Greiffenberg (present-day Gryfow Slaski in Western Poland), Silesia, Germany, 14 August 1563; Died: Görlitz, Germany, 9 June 1609) German physician.

Schwenckfeld graduated with an M.D. from the University of Basel. He opened a practice in Hirschberg, and then in 1605, he retired to Görlitz.

Biographical references: ADB. • DBA: I 1164, 92-112. • Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition. • Ferchl: 493. • Jöcher, Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1750-51: 4, col. 413. • Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 391. • Poggendorff: 2, cols. 877-8. • Pritzel, Thesaurus Literaturæ Botanicæ, 1871-3: 292. • WBI.

Stirpium & Fossilium Silesiae Catalogvs, 1600

1. Latin, 1600.
Stirpium & Fossilium | Silesiae | Catalogvs. | In quo præter etymon, nata= | les, tempus; Natura & vires cum varijs | experimentis affignantur: | Concinnatus per | Casparv Schvvenckfelt, | Reip. Hirsbergensis Phys. Ordinar. | Cvm Indice Remediorvm. | Psal. LXV. & CIV. | Dominvs ditat Terram onmis generis | Frugum ac Terræ nascentium varietate | In cibum & Medicinam. | M. [...printer's device...] D C. | Lipsiae, | Impensis Davidis Alberti | Bibliopolæ Vratislauiensis. | Cum gratia & priuilegio Sacr. Cæs. Maiest.

[Sectional title page:]

Fossilium Silesiæ | Catalogvs, | Omnis Generis Mi- | neralia, Metallica, Metal- | la, Svccos, Terras, Lapillos, Fontes | medicatos & Thermas continens: | Concinnatus opera & studio | Caspari Schvvenck- | felt, Physici Hirsbergensis. | Hiobi 28. vers. 1. 2. 6. | Habet Argentum venarum suarum principia: & est | locus Auro quod liquant Metallarij. Ferrum è strictu- | ris seu glebis venaque ferraria sumitur: & lapide æro- | so funditur Æs. | Terræ eius lapides loco Sapphiri; | Pulueres verò sunt illi. | [ornament] | Anno | [rule] | M. DC.

4°: a-e⁴ A-Z⁴ 2A-2Z⁴ 3A-3G⁴; 232l.; [40], [1]-407, [1] blank, [15], [1] blank p. Colophon (3G4r): "Lipsiæ | Imprimebat Michael Lan- | tzenberger | [rule] | Anno M. DC." Page size: 184 x 144 mm.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Medicum vel maximè sollicitum ..."; [13 pgs], Dedicatory epistola, signed Caspar Schvvenckfelt.; [1 pg], "Autorum, quorum in hoc opusculo | fit mentio, catalogvs."; [3 pgs], "Dn. | Casparo Schvvenck- | ..."; [2 pgs], "In Catalogvm | De Stirpibus Et Fossi- | libvs Silesiæ."; [1 pg], "In Catalogvm | Plantarvm Silesiæ viri Claris."; [18 pgs], Silesiae Geo- | graphica Brevis | Delineatio."; [1]-4, "De Plantis In | Genere."; 5-221, "Stirpivm In | Silesia Sponte | Nascentivm | Liber primus."; [222], Blank.; 223-348, "Stirpivm Si- | lesiæ Hortensivm | Liber Secundus."; [349], Sectional title page.; 350-351, Preface.; 352, Poem.; 353-356, "Fossilivm Gene- | ralis Tabvla."; 357-407, "Fossilivm | Silesiæ, | Liber tertius."; [1 pg], Blank.; [15 pgs], "Index | Morborvm Re- | media, et alia in Hoc | Opere Notatv. Digna | Continens."; [1 pg], Blank.

Very scarce. This is an early work on the botanical and subterranean wonders of Silesia in Germany. The preliminary pages contain a short section describing the geography of the area. This is followed by part one, which provides a comprehensive classified catalog of the botanical varieties of the area , including flowers, ferns, trees, agriculture etc. The second part, with its own sectional title page, is a detailed descriptive catalog of Silesia's fossils and minerals. It incorporates a general table outlining the classification scheme followed by a description of the fossils in four books. The system is an adaptation after Agricola, and divides minerals and fossils into Terrae, Lapides, Succi and Metallica.

Bibliographical references: Beekman, Systematische Mineralogie, 1906: 26. • BL. • Cobres, Deliciæ Cobresianæ, 1782: 1, 245. • Freilich Sale Catalog: no. 488. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 161 ["Weder ordentlich, noch vollständig genug."]. • Hoover Collection: no. 737. • LKG: XIV 294. • NUC: 533, 233-4 [NS 0328614]. • Pritzel, Thesaurus Literaturæ Botanicæ, 1871-3: no. 8542. • VD17: 23:000447Q.

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