Die Mineralquellen zu Bilin by REUSS, Franz Ambrosius

Folding engraved frontis. depicting Bilin & an engraved vignette on title. 3 p.l., 138 pp. 8vo, cont. straight-grained dark blue morocco, decorative fillet round sides, spine richly gilt, silk endpapers, a.e.g. Vienna: Geistinger, 1808. First edition and a lovely copy in contemporary blue straight-grained morocco with most attractive gilt decoration on covers and, particularly, the spine. Reuss (1761-1830), took his medical degree in 1783 and established a practice at Prague; during the same period he also conducted mineralogical and geological investigations and went to Freiberg to hear Werner lecture at the Bergakademie. He wrote an important geological textbook which contained the most complete exposition of Werner's ideas. "In 1784 Reuss became physician to Prince Lobkowitz and moved to the northwestern Bohemian city of Bilin...Bilin was already famous as a spa, and Reuss, in addition to his medical duties, supervised the exploitation of the mineral springs and mines belonging to his patron. In this connection he continued his mineralogical and geological researches and concurrently began an investigation of the spas of northern Bohemia."-D.S.B., XI, p. 387. In this work, Reuss provides an account of the alkalic mineral springs of Bilin which were considered suitable for curing catarrh of the stomach, gout, renal and biliary calculi, liver complaints, and diabetes. This copy appears to be printed on large and fine paper.