Links to pre-1600 medical texts concerning medicine, herbals, midwives, childbearing, labor and delivery.
Ordnung einer Erbarn Raths der statt Regenspurg die Hebammen betreffende, Regenspurg [ca. 1550] [VD16 R 546] Regulations from Erban concerning midwives and the child bed. I also think wet nurses are covered too.
Theodorus, Jacobus / Basse, Nikolaus: Eicones plantarum, seu stirpium, arborum nempe, fructicum, herbarum, fructuum lignorum, Francofurti ad Moenum 1590 [VD16 T 829] A nice herbal book showing good drawings of plants (flowers, leaves and roots) with their Latin and German common names. Also has two indexes in the back by Latin and German common names. It has over 1000 pages, so its quite extensive!
Brunschwig, Hieronymus: Chirurgia, Augspurg 1539 A medical manual, very good scenes of interiors and doctor’s equipment. Lots of different views of beds and bedding, and waiting for the doctor in a comfy looking chair The drama of a snake bite and a kitchen scene This book reuses a lot of the same woodcuts over and over, I guess they were on a tight budget.
Brunschwig, Hieronymus: Dis ist das buch der Cirurgia, Hantwirchung der wund artzny, Straßburg 1397 [i.e.: 1497].07.04. [BSB-Ink B-930 – GW 5593] This is the book of treatments and tools for wound doctors A rather scary set of medical instruments Treatment of snake bites. One of the men in the back is saying prayers on a disk rosary The Doctor’s helper is working in the kitchen, cooking over the fire.
Alexander / Winter, Johann: Libri duodecim (de arte medica), Basilea 1556 [VD16 A 1784] The Medical Arts. Also has a very nice parchment binding, the front paste down has come up and you can see the velum strips that were glued down between the thongs for support of the back.
Gabelkover, Oswald: Artzneybuch, Tübingen 1589 [VD16 G 15]
A doctor’s book for treating various types of wounds. Starts with basic head wounds and covers the rest. Its rather long at 1000+ pages, haven’t discovered if there are pictures or if its just mainly text.
Ryff, Walther Hermann: Die kleyner Chirurgei, Straßburg 1542 [VD16 R 3916] 
Another medical book, not as many illustrations in this one though.
Or Three books on wounds and sores, written by Paraclesus and Adam Bodenstein, published in Frankfurt am Main in 1563
Doctor dressing wounds in an army camp
Detailed drawing of his tools and the case they are kept in.
A copy of the Rose garden of women:
Ryff, Walther Hermann: Frawen Rosengarten, Von … gebrechen der Mütter und Kinder …, Frankfurt, 1545 [VD16 R 3901]
The title page of this book argues that stencils or separate blocks were in use for book illustrations, and that sometimes they slipped!
Another copy of ‘Rosengarten’, but done in full color, very nicely too. Front page has a different scene than the one above, but still the scene after the baby is born with the mother in recovery.
Rößlin, Eucharius: Der schwangerenn Frawen und Hebammen Rosengarten, Augspurg, 1530 [VD16 R 2856]
Birthing room scene with the mother on the birthing chair
Birthing chair
1528 version of ‘Rosengarten’, appears to be the same as 1530 version but with b/w plates not colored
Rößlin, Eucharius: Der Schwanngeren frawen und Hebammen Rosegarten, Augspurg, 1528 [VD16 ZV 16565]
Rueff, Jakob / Amman, Jost: Hebammenbuch, Daraus man alle Heimligkeit deß Weiblichen Geschlechts erlehrnen, welcherley gestalt der Mensch in Mutter Leib empfangen, zunimpt und geboren wirdt, auch wie man allerley Kranckheit, die sich le ichtlich mit den Kindbetterin zutragen, mit köstlicher Artzeney vorkommen unnd helffen könne, Franckfurt am Meyn 1600
Rough translation “Complete Doctor’s guide to women’s reproductive health, childbirth, issues and every Doctor should have this book”
In the birthing room
Birthing chair
Internal female anatomy
Pregnant woman and a servant or the midwife
Surgical instruments
The mother in recovery
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