Livre pour la remede pour les chevaux [Book of the remedy for horses]

Unprocessed Material — Box: 1

Identifier: ViU-2023-0124

Staff Only

Content Description

This collection contains an anonymous author's unpublished vernacular manuscript on equine health. This manuscript was likely used as a tool by veterinarians or educated farmers in western France in the middle of the eighteenth century. The manuscript is divided into two parts. The first and longer part occupies the first 178 pages and is in a single legible hand. The second part, likely in a different and somewhat later hand, comprises the last eight pages. The first part of the manuscript contains a procedural manual to cure horses of their afflictions and would have been understood and used not only by veterinarians but by laypersons. The anonymous author may have does seem to draw on three published sources: Samuel Fouquet de Beaurepere's "Traite des remedes les plus utiles & necessaires pour la guerison des chevaux", published at Paris by J. Le Gras in 1663; the anonymous "Maladies des chevaux avec leurs remedes faciles et experimentez -- Ouvrage tres-utile a tous seigneurs, gentilshommes, escuyers, marechaux, marchands de chevaux, laboreurs, cochers et tous autres qui ont des chevaux a gouverner" printed at Vannes by Jacques de Heuqueville in 1694; and 1740 edition of Antonio de Arriques's "L'art de panser et de guerir toutes les maladies des chevaux," edited by G. Jollain. However, the author has summarized these texts and inserted original work to produce a tailored book specific to the needs of a certain farm or stable, likely located in the Charente-Maritime region of western France. The second part of the manuscript beginning on page 179, lists expenses, veterinary prescriptions and recipes, and miscellaneous notes on farm administration.

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased from W.S. Cotter Rare Books, 1 May 2023. Late-eighteenth-Century custodial signature to the last page is completely crossed out and illegible. Monsieur M., an anonymous collector whose books and manuscripts (this one included), were dispersed at auction on October 5-6, 2022; acquired by Philippe Deblaise of Germozac, France. Acquired by W.S. Cotter from M. Deblaise in late 2022. Valid export license on file with W.S. Cotter.