Nature in Seclusion. The Monastic Republic of Letters in Southern Germany

Monasteries were famous for their extensive libraries and richly decorated churches. Less well known are their observatories and their mathematical-physical collections with telescopes, air pumps, and friction machines. But how did the way of life in the monastery and scientific practices influence each other? This paper examines the interaction of scientific practices and religious way of life using the example of southern German monasteries in the second half of the eighteenth century. It shows how the monks pragmatically linked monastic life and research practice, thereby forming their own specific scientific culture. This closes an important gap in the understanding of scholarship in the eighteenth century by foregrounding the monasteries as places of knowledge production, which have so far received little attention alongside universities and academies.

[Jing Xiao Chan Bao collected by the Waseda university library]

The current version of Jing Xiao Chan Bao is believed to be the earliest medical book on gynecology remaining in China. It has three problems: formulae missing, lack of fluency in the text, and thus difficulties in proofreading and editing. These problems are still there because there are very few versions of Jing Xiao Chan Bao left in China and so it is difficult to do further studies to make comparisons. The Waseda University Library announced that the version they held was a handwritten. It provides a new version for further research of this book. This version was believed to be compiled and edited by Japanese scholars based on Medical Prescription Analogues (Yi Fang Lei Ju) and therefore appears to be similar to the South Song Dynasty version. Using archival research, it was found that in the version at Waseda University Library, the content organisation, the number of formulas, and the use of taboo words is different from those in the current version in China. In this sense, it is believed that this version is valuable and meaningful for archival and clinical research for traditional Chinese medicine.

Translating Forbidden Authors: New Evidence on the Alchemical Library of Don Antonio de' Medici

Research into the history of alchemy and Paracelsianism in Italy has highlighted the role of Italian courts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as centres of elaboration and diffusion of alchemical knowledge. Among these, one of the best known is the Medici court which already dedicated spaces in the ducal foundry to the alchemical arts in the time of Cosimo I. This interest would remain alive with Francesco I and his son, Don Antonio de' Medici, one of the greatest supporters of Paracelsian medicine in Italy. This contribution presents previously unpublished sources, now preserved in the Archivio di Stato di Firenze and in the collection of the Biblioteca degli Intronati in Siena, that can help us reconstruct in greater detail some significant aspects of Medici alchemical engagement and can, above all, help further determine Paracelsus's influence in seventeenth century Florence.

The beginnings of health libraries of the Czech Brothers Hospitallers in the 18th century

During some 150 years in the 17th and 18th centuries the network of convents with hospitals and pharmacies run by the Brothers Hospitallers was established in the Czech Lands. At that time the members of the Order made use of quite a large amount of early modern European health literature. Although the need of those books was closely connected with the main mission of the Order, their position in convents was marginal at the beginning and depended on the personality of individual friars. For a long time, the Czech Brothers Hospitallers were forced to use second-hand literature (even from the 16th century) which was not replaced by new volumes until the moment when the convents overcame the "birth pangs" of the founding years (end of the 18th century). The study deals with the facts that are mentioned above on the basis of the hitherto ignored archive sources coming from Prague, Kuks, Nové Město nad Metují, Prostějov, and Vizovice. Key words: brothers hospitallers pharmaceutical literature medical literature 17th century 18th century history of libraries pharmaceutical history.

[The library of Chinese Medical Association in the Republican Period]

The library of Chinese Medical Association was founded in 1925. The source of books and periodicals in the library are mainly from purchasing and donation. The library provides services such as lending, exchanging books, translating and publishing the contents and abstracts of medical journals in Chinese and other languages. It has played an active and important role in promoting medical development in the period of Republic of China.

Visiting Old Libraries: Scientific Books in the Religious Institutions of Early Modem Portugal

Knowledge of libraries and book collecting is a preliminary task for the characterisation of scientific culture and practice. In the case of Iberia, and especially Portugal, this is still a desideratum. This paper provides a first global look at this issue. In early modem Portugal religious institutions organised impressive collections of books, by far the largest in the country These libraries not only served the religious institutions themselves, but also supplied books to lesser libraries, such as the University Library of Coimbra and the Royal Library. The Portuguese book market mirrored the purchase and selection of books made by religious congregations. This was also true for the circulation of scientific books, which depended above all on the interests, choices and cultural relations of these most peculiar book collectors.

[The presence of charity books in the inventory of the College of Pharmacy]

The inventory of the Library of the College of Pharmacy was redacted in 1781-1782 and was completed in 1787. It contained seven charity books : Toutes les CEuvres Charitables by Philibert Guybert, Les Secrets touchant la Medecine, Le Medecin et le Chirurgien des Pauvres by Paul Dubé, La medecine abbreggée en faveur des Pauvres by the same Paul Dubé, Le Traité des-Maladies les plus fréquentes by Helvetius, Les Remedes faciles & domestiques by Mrs Fouquet, and the Manuel des Dames de Charité by Arnaut de Nobleville and his co-authors. If these seven books were representative of the charity books in France, they only represented 2 percents of the total amount of books mentioned in the inventory. That is not surprising because this kind of books were not redacted for pharmacists but for not educated people. All these books had been published before the middle of the 18th century and the charity books recently published were not present. That comforted the hypothesis that the books of the Library came only from gifts by members of the College at the end of their Professional life.

[History of trichinellosis in the history of the catalog of the French National Library]

The Open Line public access catalogue of the French National Library was consulted for the following key-words: trichine, trichinose, Trichina, trichinellose. Around 50 monographs in French were published during three periods: 1860-1869, 1880-1889 and 1970-1979. The 1970-1979 wave was linked with the emergence in Paris and its region of an outbreak related to horse-meat consumption. The 1880-1889 wave is explained by an economical war between Europe and the United States of America. The 1860-1870 wave occurred when the parasite cycle and the human disease were identified in Germany by Virchow and Zenker. In addition, some political and economic events could have increased the fear of the disease.

[Pharmaceutical History of the Capuchin Monastery in Prague-Hradčany Part I. Monastic Pharmacy]

Based on a profound examination and thorough evaluation of archival materials and preserved equipment, the article provides a unique perspective on the unknown history of pharmacy at the capuchin monastery in Prague-Hradčany. The intramural pharmacy was established around the year 1680, and was practised to 1822. The article identifies the capuchin pharmacists and their line of succession. Pharmaceutical literature from the monastic library is listed and described, including rare manuscripts. The preserved high baroque equipment of the pharmacy is described in detail, and an iconography analysis of the hidden meaning of its unique decoration is offered.Key words: pharmaceutical history capuchins monastic pharmacies baroque.

From Shell Shock to Shellac: The Great War, Blindness, and Britain's Talking Book Library

Britain's Talking Book Service began as a way of providing reading material to soldiers blinded during the First World War. This account traces the talking book's development from the initial experiments after the War to its debut and reception among blind soldiers and civilians in the 1930s. It has been put together using archives held by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (before its Royal Charter, the NIB) and Blind Veterans UK (formerly St. Dunstan's), the two organizations responsible for Britain's Talking Book Service. The essay's first section reconstructs the search for an alternative way of reading that would benefit people with vision impairments. The next part demonstrates the talking book's impact on the lives of people with disabilities, recovering the voices of blind readers left out of most histories of books, literacy, and reading practices in the twentieth century. The final section reconstructs a debate over the value of recorded books, showing that disputes over their legitimacy are as old as recorded books themselves. In sum, this essay confronts the central issue raised by the convergence of books, media, and disability in the War's aftermath: can a book talk?

[Military Knowledge: War Sciences and Army Libraries in France in the 19th Century (c. 1800-c. 1900)]

This article analyses the development of military knowledge in France in the 19th century, both in terms of production of knowledge (especially through the Dépôt de la Guerre) and of transmission through a network of army libraries. The strategic dimension of this form of knowledge required a direct intervention of the state, to control or restrict the publication of sensitive data. State intervention was also necessary to coordinate and generate a unified, applied military knowledge using data submitted by members of different army branches, or by civilians. The work of military librarians and bibliologists was all the more difficult because of the very wide range of sciences which could be used by the army. Growing state intervention and public funding were thus essential for the production and transmission of military knowledge.

[Vesalius and the flat of Daremberg]

Who was Charles Daremberg? Why and how did he become interested in Vesalius? Why was he unable to really understand his work? Why did he tone down the general tune of praise?

[The treasure of the American Society of Anesthesiologists: Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology]

The origin of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Wood Library of Museum (WLM) can be traced back to the early 1930s when Dr. Paul Meyer Wood donated his collection of books and medical devices to the New York Society of Anesthetists. The WLM's current activities go beyond collection and preservation of the historical materials and publication and sale of history-related books. The WLM publishes and sells history-related books, and provides anesthesia related materials and information to the society members, as well as the public in general. The on-going programs initiated by the WLM encourage one to study history (WLM Fellowship in Anesthesiology) and honor the established anesthesia historians (WLM Laureate of History of Anesthesia). At the annual ASA meeting, the WLM has also its own lectures and symposium sessions, such as 'Patrick Sim Forum on the History of Anesthesiology' 'Lewis H. Wright Memorial Lecture' and 'History Panel'. These activities are partly supported by a group of anesthesiologist-historians (Friends of WLM). The Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists' Museum was founded in 2011 and it is still in its infancy. In order for the museum to be fully functional, Japanese anesthesiologists will be able to learn from the well-established anesthesiology museum/libraries, such as the WLM.

[Science cultures in the global perspective. Thoughts on content design and operation of the Leopoldina Study Center]

The Leopoldina Center for the Study of the History of Science and Science Academies is a place to openly discuss the cooperation between science and society across all of the disciplines represented at the Leopoldina and beyond. This dialogue shall, by all means, also include researchers who are not members of the Leopoldina and people from outside of the academia who are interested in the topic. Like the Leopoldina, its Study Center builds bridges: between various academic disciplines, across generations and in local, national, and international communities. All interested members of the Leopoldina--not just members from the humanities, the social sciences or the behavioral sciences, but also scientists from the areas of the natural sciences, technology, the life sciences and physicians--are kindly invited to incorporate their research interests, with regard to the history and theory of their respective academic disciplines, in the research portfolio of the Leopoldina Study Center. In so doing, the Leopoldina Center for the Study of the History of Science and Science Academies should and will become a source of energy for permanent reflection and innovation when contemplating the issues of science and society.

The twopenny library: the book trade, working-class readers, and 'middlebrow' novels in Britain, 1930-42

Twopenny libraries first appeared in North London in 1930 and quickly spread throughout urban Britain. Their innovation was to dispense with subscription fees and charge per loan. Unlike older commercial libraries such as Mudie's, twopenny libraries served a working-class clientele. Some twopenny libraries were standalone businesses. Many more were sidelines to existing businesses such as tobacconists' and newsagents' shops. Library services could be profitable in their own right, but often their main value to their proprietors was to bring customers into the shop more regularly. Established players in the book trade initially responded to twopenny libraries with alarm, but the threat they posed was limited. Their market was not the same as those of booksellers. Some public librarians made arguments along these lines about the twopenny libraries' impact on public libraries; certainly, the two types of institution coexisted. Twopenny libraries carried a lot of so-called light fiction, but they also lent working-class readers the 'middlebrow' bestsellers of the 1920s and 1930s. The wider significance of the twopenny library lies in the way it problematizes the distinction commonly made between a middle-class public for new hardcover novels and a working-class readership of fiction that appeared in cheap papers and magazines.

Magic, Mind Control, and the Body Electric: "Materia Medica" in Sir Walter Scott's Library at Abbotsford

This chapter examines the medical texts, or "Materia Medica", held by Sir Walter Scott in his library at Abbotsford. While the vast majority of Scott's medical texts are antiquarian, his library also contains rare tracts and ephemera relating to the medical practice of the infamous quack, Dr James Graham (1745-94), and the Burke and Hare controversy of 1828 and its aftermath. Examining Scott's holdings of medical texts in relation to his own health and that of his family and friends, it is argued that the lack of contemporary medical self-help texts in his library is striking and indicative of his stoical attitude towards health, despite his clear interest in medical culture.

[Space for the new. Archive - library - study center]

This article features a short outline of both the architectural history and the inventories of Leopoldina's archive and library. Moreover, the article presents the construction plans that will--when implemented in the near future--generate and provide outstanding working facilities in the form of a building ensemble consisting of an archive, library and study center. The future infrastructure of these Leopoldina buildings, located in the area of Emil-Abderhalden-/August-Bebel-Strasse, will sustainably foster and support the establishment of research projects at the Leopoldina Study Center.

[Dr. Joseph Chazanowicz (1844-1919) and the National Library in Jerusalem]

Dr. Joseph Chazanowicz (1844-1919), was a Russian physician, and founder of the Jewish National Library in JerusaLem. After completing his studies at the Jewish school and at the gymnasium of Grodno, Chazanowicz went to Königsberg, Germany to study medicine and finished his studies in 1872. Returning to Russia, he began to practice at Byelostok's Jewish hospital. Chazanowicz founded the Hovevei Ziyyon ["Lovers of Zion"] society and also the Linat Ha-Zedek ("Hospice for the Poor")--caring for the poor. In 1890 he visited Palestine and conceived the idea of founding a library in Jerusalem, together with the B'nai B'rith organization. In 1896 he sent his large collection of books, amounting to nearly 10,000 volumes, to Jerusalem as the beginning of the Abarbanel library. The enlargement of this library and the collection of funds to erect a special building for it became the life-work of Chazanowicz.

[Science and society. Guidelines for the Leopoldina Study Center]

In order to adequately perform its many diverse tasks as a scholars' society and as the German National Academy of Sciences, the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina needs to view itself in a historical context. This can only happen as part of a culture of remembrance which fosters the memory of the Leopoldina's past and subjects this to a critical analysis in the context of the history of science and academies. The newly founded Leopoldina Study Center for the History of Science and Science Academies is to be a forum that pursues established forms of historical research at the Leopoldina, organizes new scientific projects, and presents its findings to the public. The aim is to involve as many Leopoldina members as possible from all of its disciplines, as well as to collaborate with national and international partners.