Les Admirables Secrets D'albert Le Grand: Contenant Plusieurs Traites Sur La Conception Des Femmes, Des Vertus Des Herbes, Des Pierres PréCieuses & Des Animaux Divises En Quatre Livres Medical

1758, Lyon. A Very Good copy. Text in French. 12mo., 312 pp., plus index at rear. Three full page engraved plates. Bound in quarter red morocco with marbled paper boards. Title in gilt on 6 compartment spine. Marbled end pages. Tips, edges and spine rubbed through. Previous owners attractive bookplate. Old bookseller's listing pasted on blank end paper. Pages are clean and unmarked, binding is solid. A book of secrets and natural magic which dates back to the middle ages. The work remained popular into the 19th century. Authorship was attributed (probably falsely) to Albertus Magnus. The book discusses the occult and medicinal virtues of various plants, herbs, stones, animals etc. Various medicinal remedies and magical recipes are also given. The content often showed considerable variation between printings and editions with publishers adding in supplementary information.