De Conceptu et Generatione Hominis: de Matrice et eius Partibus, nec non de conditione infantis in utero, and gravidarum cura and officio: De partu et parturientium infantiumque cura omnifaria. Frankfurt: Petrus Fabricius for Sigismund Feyrabend, 1587.

The most beautiful edition of one best-seller on midwifery. Jacob Rueff was town physician and professor of medicine at Zurich. He was famous as surgeon and Conrad Gessner ranks him as " vir in arte sua pertissimus". His textbook on midwifery is in close relation to Rosslin's Rosengarten but Rueff's work affords much new material since he utilized the results of Vesalius' researches. It contains detailed accounts regarding conception, generation and birth, the duties of the midwife, etc. It was dedicated to Leonhard Thurneisser of Berlin, famous alchemist, whose woodcut arms are to be found on the first page.

The title woodcut shows a lying-in scene, another full-page cut a parturient woman on a delivery chair with two astronomers in the background studying the stars. Another cut shows Adam and Eve with the tree of knowledge, the trunk of which is a skeleton. Other illustrations represent female genital organs, obstetrical instruments, the development of the foetus, monstrosities etc.

Rare Text Images Home   Instruments Home

© 2000 University of Kansas Medical Center Comments: clendening@kumc.edu Revised: May 11, 2000