(Born: late 1450's; Died: Vienna, Austria, 14 July 1527) Austrian physician.

Stainpies matriculated at the University of Vienna in April, 1476, gaining his medical degree in 1488 and his licence to practice medicine on 23 September 1490. He became professor of medicine at the Vienna Medical School, and between 1496 and 1510 he was eight times elected Dean of the medical faculty. By 1510 he was one of the senior doctors at the medical school. In the plague year of 1511, Stainpeis criticized colleages who fled the city, and was called before a committee investigating this slander. After his refusal to appear, Stainpeis' faculty priviledges were revoked. He wrote several medical tracts, the last of which is considered the first printed introduction to the study of medicine.

Biographical references: Durling, R.J., "An early manual for the medical student and the newly-fledged practioner: Martin Stainpeis' Liber de modo studendi seu legendi in medicina, ([Vienna], 1520)", Clio Medica, 5, (1970), 7-33. • Jöcher, Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1750-51: 4, 800. • Puschmann, T., A history of medical education from the most remote to the most recent times. Translated and edited by Evan H. Hare. London, H.K. Lewis, 1891: 240, 251, 253 & 255. • Schwarz, I., Geschichte des Wiener Apothekerwesens im Mittelalter. Wien, Verlag des Wiener Apotheker-Hauptremiums, 1917: 137. • Wellcome Catalog (History): 18, 68.

Lapidariū, c1510

1. Latin, c1510.
Lapidariū omni voluptate | refertū: & medicine pluri= | ma notatu signiffima | expermēta cō= | plectens. | Opvs De Lapidibvs Pre= | clarū: mlîaq{₃} uolupate refertū:in quo de singulis lapidibus nedum pclosis: | uerū eciam de reliquis quibus uirtutis | aliquid inesse cōstat: & de pclosorum | lapidum sophisticatione:& naturaliū | ac artificialium discretione:notatu di= | gnissima reperies:per quendā artiū ac | medicine doctorē editū atq{₃} collectū.

4°: a-g⁴; 28l.; no pagination. Title printed in gothic letter and Roman type. Text printed in Roman type. Colophon: Vienna: Io. [Johann] Winterburger. Page size: 205 x 145 mm.

Contents: a1r, Title page.; a1v-b1v, Introduction.; b2r-g4v, Stone descriptions.; g4v, Colophon.

Very rare. Published anonymously, authorship of this interesting and rare lapidary is now generally attributed to Martin Stainpeis. The work is also undated, but is thought to have been printed after the year 1500, probably around 1510. The text is divided into two parts. The first containing the introductory material is composed of 13 chapters (Adams says 12 chapters). At the outset the author states that the purpose of this work is "first to give such information concerning the various minerals as will enable them to be recognized, and second to set forth their origin, virtues and properties" (Adams, 1938). A general description of the particular virtues and properties is explained in the first part of the book. Included are chapters on how the properties manifest themselves, how a weak virtue may be strengthened and the differences between the mystical powers of natural and artificial stones. Throughout, the author denounces those who believe gems do not possess heavenly powers as ignorant fools. He supports this argument by reminding the reader that great authorities such as Aristotle and Plato recognized these qualities as inherent to a stones existence.

The second part of the text is a descriptive list of 117 stones in alphabetical order. Under each name there is a commentary about the individual properties and virtues attributed to the stone. This commentary is largely based upon the writings of Albertus Magnus, Pliny, Evax, Avicenna and Serapion. In fact, many of the notes are copied directly from Albertus Magnus, although some stories of anecdotal nature are also interspersed.

Bibliographical references: Adams, Birth and Development, 1938: 146-7. • BL [1255.d.11.]. • Copinger, Hain's Repertorium, Supplement, 1898-1902: no. 3492. • Dolch, W., Bibliographie der Österreichischen Drucke 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts. Vienna, 1913: 1, pt. 1, no. 129. • Glasgow University The printed books in the library of the Hunterian Museum. Glasgow, 1930: 210. • Goff: L-64. • NLM 16th Century Books (Durling): no. 2736. • NUC: 316, 45 [NL 0094668-71]. • Schullian & Sommer, Catalogue of Incunubula, 1948: no. 277. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 3779.

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