http://recipes.hypotheses.org/5512
University of Glasgow Library
Welcome back to First Monday Library Chat. This month, we
travel to Scotland to chat with Sarah Hepworth, Assistant Librarian of
Special Collections at the University of Glasgow Library.
As a recipe enthusiast, John Ferguson’s Bibliographical Notes on Books of Inventions and Books of Secrets is a well-thumbed volume on my book shelf. The Ferguson collection is a key collection at the University of Glasgow Library, could you share some more details with your readers?
John Ferguson (1838-1916), was a bibliographer and Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow from 1874 to 1915. He was an excellent teacher by all accounts, though his caustic sense of humour may have accounted for his nickname ‘Soda’. Ferguson was fascinated by the history of science and his writings and collecting reflect that. We hold some 7,500 volumes from his library and the main strengths are in alchemy, chemistry and related topics such as ‘books of secrets’. So, a mix of medical and culinary recipes, and the ‘magic’ of turning base metals into gold.
The collection includes well-known 17th century publications such as The Mysteries of Nature and Art by John Bate and books on household management by Hannah Woolley including The ladies directory. The manuscript works date from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Many of these are anonymous but some have named authors, including ‘Mary Harrison her Book 1692’ (MS Ferguson 61). Among the recipes Harrison has noted down are a cure for the plague and a formula for ‘Stuff to rub mens shoes & bouts with to prevent soking in water’ For historians of medicine, it is almost impossible to talk about the University of Glasgow Library without thinking about the Hunterian collection. Could you give us an idea of the scope of the recipe texts within the Hunterian collection? What kinds of knowledge are represented?
William Hunter (1718-1783), anatomist, physician and teacher of medicine, collected over 10,000 printed books and over 650 manuscripts. Around a third of his library relates to medicine, both contemporary 18th century texts and many historical works. Within this vast resource are alchemical volumes, a number of anonymous books of ‘receipts’ and major works including illustrated manuscript copies of medical treatises by the renowned 14th century surgeon John of Arderne (MS Hunter 112 and MS Hunter 251) These include examples of plants and herbs to be used in making curative recipes.
The anonymous works date from the 14th cent onwards and include ‘An excellente Black Salve for Wounds Staines or Bruises (MS Hunter 95) and a Case-book for Ward Patients in St Thomas’s Hospital, 1745 (MS Hunter 494).
The following Collection/Subject pages may also be useful:
Ferguson collection
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/specialcollections/collectionsa-z/fergusoncollection/
Hunterian collection
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/specialcollections/collectionsa-z/hunteriancollection/
Medicine
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/specialcollections/searchbysubject/medicine/
As a recipe enthusiast, John Ferguson’s Bibliographical Notes on Books of Inventions and Books of Secrets is a well-thumbed volume on my book shelf. The Ferguson collection is a key collection at the University of Glasgow Library, could you share some more details with your readers?
John Ferguson (1838-1916), was a bibliographer and Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow from 1874 to 1915. He was an excellent teacher by all accounts, though his caustic sense of humour may have accounted for his nickname ‘Soda’. Ferguson was fascinated by the history of science and his writings and collecting reflect that. We hold some 7,500 volumes from his library and the main strengths are in alchemy, chemistry and related topics such as ‘books of secrets’. So, a mix of medical and culinary recipes, and the ‘magic’ of turning base metals into gold.
The collection includes well-known 17th century publications such as The Mysteries of Nature and Art by John Bate and books on household management by Hannah Woolley including The ladies directory. The manuscript works date from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Many of these are anonymous but some have named authors, including ‘Mary Harrison her Book 1692’ (MS Ferguson 61). Among the recipes Harrison has noted down are a cure for the plague and a formula for ‘Stuff to rub mens shoes & bouts with to prevent soking in water’ For historians of medicine, it is almost impossible to talk about the University of Glasgow Library without thinking about the Hunterian collection. Could you give us an idea of the scope of the recipe texts within the Hunterian collection? What kinds of knowledge are represented?
William Hunter (1718-1783), anatomist, physician and teacher of medicine, collected over 10,000 printed books and over 650 manuscripts. Around a third of his library relates to medicine, both contemporary 18th century texts and many historical works. Within this vast resource are alchemical volumes, a number of anonymous books of ‘receipts’ and major works including illustrated manuscript copies of medical treatises by the renowned 14th century surgeon John of Arderne (MS Hunter 112 and MS Hunter 251) These include examples of plants and herbs to be used in making curative recipes.
The anonymous works date from the 14th cent onwards and include ‘An excellente Black Salve for Wounds Staines or Bruises (MS Hunter 95) and a Case-book for Ward Patients in St Thomas’s Hospital, 1745 (MS Hunter 494).
The following Collection/Subject pages may also be useful:
Ferguson collection
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/specialcollections/collectionsa-z/fergusoncollection/
Hunterian collection
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/specialcollections/collectionsa-z/hunteriancollection/
Medicine
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/specialcollections/searchbysubject/medicine/