AUTHOR: Boccone, Paolo (1633-1704) TITLE: Museo di fisica e Di esperienze: variato, e decorato DI osservazioni naturali, note medicinali, e ragionamenti secondo i principii de’ moderni. IMPRINT: Venetia: I.B. Zuccato, 1697.- COLLATION: [8] 319 p., [24] p. of plates: ill; 23 cm. (4to) NOTES: Includes index. “Boccone’s Museo DI fisica e DI esperienze consists of some forty-six Osservazioni on particular topics in natural history addressed to as many different persons, all prominent individuals from throughout Europe, where Boccone traveled extensively. The first four Osservazioni are on the Sicilian earthquake of 1693, but one communication is dated as early as 13 February, 1680. Other themes are alkali and medicinal earths, terra Lemnia, manna, an urn containing ashes and a balsamic liquor found in the island of Malta, tarantulas and antidotes for their bite, regular periods of fevers, the curious actions of certain animals, the extraordinary effects of certain plants, the prodigious effluvia of some plants and animals, some neglected vulgar common plants, Italian cheeses, alum DI Rocca, and marine plants. Paulo Boccone was a gentleman of Palermo and Professor of Botany at the University of Padua. He later joined the Cistercians and changed his name to Silvio. His special contribution was in the field of botany, where he was the first to note, or at least clearly to distinguish, a number of species.” — Jeff Weber Rare Books, catalogue 84: The Roots of Astrobiology (2001) REFERENCES: Thorndike, History of magic and experimental science, VIII, 37-41. BM(NH), I, p. 181; Gascoigne, 2421.3; Poggendorf, I, col. 216; Wellcome, II, p. 185. KEYWORDS: 1. Natural history. LOCATION: QH41.B664