Tonsoris Joannes. SANA CONSILIA MEDICA, Aneb Zdrawá Radda Lékařská, Podáwagjcý Z Křestianské Lásky Užitečné Lékařstwj, Na wětssým Djle domácý, Z Hodnowěrných Doktorů Lékařských proti rozličným Nemocem Lidského Těla, S připogenau Domownj Apatéčkou, kterau K obecnému dobrému wydal Iohannes Tonsoris. Wytisstěná w Král. Swob. Městě Skalicy, u Joseffa Antonjna Sskarnycla. [Sana Consilia Medica or Medical advice providing useful medicine out of Christian love, mostly from domestic, trustworthy doctors, against various diseases of the human body; with attached home apothecary, issued for the general good by Johannes Tonsoris]. Skalica: Jozef Škarnicl,, 1771(?). 16x10cm. (XIV) 260 (XXIV). Missing first leaf of main section. Contemporary half-calf. Good condition. Some restoration to page borders. Some soiling to borders. No loose pages. Tight binding. In its day considered a superb medical handbook dedicated to the Slovak nation and intended for use in areas where there were not doctors or they were too remote. The town of Skalica was an important center of economic, cultural and spiritual life for a vast region around it. The church was instrumental in educating the people, and at the end of the 18th century it was cultural center of west Slovakia with a Jezuit gymnasium. The book is divided into chapters corresponding to parts of the body (In the section concerning eye treatment it is recommended to avoid spicy food, salt, vinegar, garlic and too much crying, reading or being awake. Horseradish juice is recommended for toothaches, as well as chewing tobacco. Heartache is to be soothed by rosemary ointment on the chest; vinegar in the nose will wake those who have fainted. To counter the plague, one would be best to walk the street with burnt juniper branches, and before leaving home to drink some blueberry brandy of vodka on an empty stomach (Kojetínský zpravodaj, July-Aug 2020). On title page and front endpage owner stamp of František Pavlíček of Hrubý Lukov, most likely the renowned Czech playwright and screenwriter of that name and place, who was forced out of the Czech cultural sphere for his involvement in pushing for communist reforms in 1968. He was also a Charter 77 signatory.

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