Baffi, Giovanni Battista ( -1596)

In Avicennae Fen primam libri quarti, quae est de febribus paraphrasis, una cum scholiis. Author's holograph MS., perhaps prepared for publication, with a long Dedication to Francisco Maria 11, Duke of Urbino [1548-1631]. At the end is an elaborate Index, an Address to the Reader, 'Auctoris carmen ad librum suum', and an inserted (2 ll.) Latin poem, perhaps also holograph, by Sebastiano Macci [1558-1615] in praise of the book. The last 3 ll. of text contain medical receipts, also in Latin, by Baffi. Fol. 274 'Completum opus Die iiii Augusti sive iii Nonas Augustas 1585 quo die Beati Dominici Confessoris festum celebratur, et occeptum fuerat anno 1583, Martis mense. Curinalti. [Corinaldo.]'. Produced in Perugia.

1583-1585

1 volume 1 l. + 279 ff. + 39 ll. (last 2 bl.). folio. 281/2 x 21 cm. Modern boards. Outer upper corners of the first 16 ll. defective: a few leaves at the end dampstained.

Purchased 1960.

Baffi was a distinguished Professor at Perugia, and a Member of the Accademia degli Insensati of that city. According to Jöcher 'Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon', only two of his writings were printed. These are the two Latin orations 'De rei medicae majestate' and 'De hominis praestantia'. Both were issued from the press of Pietrojacopo Petrucci at Perugia in 1593. He appears to have been a person of great erudition, as both this MS., and the 'De Febribus' [MS. No. 112] are copiously illustrated with quotations from Greek and Latin Authors.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).