Venice 1751 - Vellum Boards, typescript - Vol III - Quaestiones Medico-Legales - FORENSIC MEDICINE.
-LOGLINE:
Published in Venice in 1751, this third volume of Paolo Zacchia's (personal physician to Popes Innocent X and Alexander VII ) Quaestiones Medico-Legales ( gathers eighty-five medico-legal consultations alongside rulings of the Vatican's highest court — the foundational text that taught Europe how to determine cause of death, prove poisoning, assess insanity, and weigh medical evidence in a court of law for 200 + years. This volume (part of a set, Volume III offered in this listing), a cornerstone text in the history of medicine and law.
Added 02 July 2026, 9:21 a.m. pacific time - photos of the front and back exterior added per prospective bidder's request
for transparency and trust.
-DIMENSIONS:
9.25 inches width X 14 inches height
-PAGES:
296 pages
-PROVENANCE:
Acquired 20 December 2019, from the estate of Fulbright Scholar & influential UCLA Historian Hayden White, 17925 Tramonto Drive,
Pacific Palisades, California 90272, from his private library. The library contained bound books covering 17th century Jesuit dogma,
19th and 20th century cultural and political subjects.
-LANGUAGE:
18th century ecclesiastical/scholarly LATIN
-ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE TITLE PAGE:
Source Language: Latin (18th-century ecclesiastical/scholarly)
Source Document: Title page of Paolo Zacchia's 'Quaestiones Medico-Legales', Venice, 1751
Line # Original Latin Text English Translation
1 PAULI ZACCHIAE Of Paolo Zacchia
2 ROMANI, The Roman,
3 TOTIUS STATUS ECCLESIASTICI Of the entire Ecclesiastical State
4 PROTO-MEDICI GENERALIS, Chief Physician General,
5 QUAESTIONES MEDICO-LEGALES. Medico-Legal Questions.
6 TOMUS TERTIUS, Volume Three,
7 QUO CONTINENTUR In which are contained
8 CONSILIA ET RESPONSA LXXXV. Eighty-five Counsels and Responses
9 Ad Materias Medico-legales pertinentia; Pertaining to Medico-legal matters;
10 NEC NON As well as
11 DECISIONES S. ROTAE ROMANAE, Decisions of the Sacred Roman Rota,
12 AD PRAEDICTAS MATERIAS SPECTANTES, Relating to the aforementioned matters,
13 a Cl. D. LANFRANCO ZACCHIA collectae. Collected by the Distinguished Lord Lanfranco Zacchia.
14 CUI PRAETER CONSILIORUM, ET DECISIONUM ELENCHOS, ACCESSIT To which, besides the indexes of Counsels and Decisions, has been added
15 Index Rerum notabilium accuratissimus. A most accurate Index of Notable Matters.
16 VENETIIS, MDCCLI. At Venice, 1751.
17 Apud SIMONEM OCCHI. At the press of Simone Occhi.
18 SUPERIORUM PERMISSU, AC PRIVILEGIO. With permission of the Superiors, and by Privilege.
PERFECT FOR:
Collectors and Institutions
Medical Historians & Collectors: Because Paolo Zacchia (1584–1659) is recognized as the "father of forensic medicine," this text is a staple for collections documenting the origins of legal medicine.
Rare Book Libraries and Archivists: Institutional libraries (e.g., medical school libraries, university history departments) that focus on 17th–18th century European scientific works.
Antiquarian Law Book Collectors: Given Zacchia’s role as an advisor to the Rota Romana (the highest Papal court of appeals), his work is considered essential for historical law libraries and collectors of canonical or civil law.
Vellum/18th-Century Italian Binding Collectors: Collectors who prioritize specific binding styles (vellum) or Venetian imprints from the 18th century.
2. Users of the Text (Reference)
Forensic Pathology Academics: Researchers studying the history of autopsy, causes of death, and the evolution of medical malpractice.
Legal Historians: Those studying the development of criminal law, the history of evidence, or the use of torture in the legal system.
Bioethicists and Medical Ethicists: Zacchia’s work covers the history of medical ethics, mental disease, and the intersection of religion and medicine.
Researchers in Gender and Social History: The text contains extensive discussions on sexuality, paternity, hermaphrodites, and abortion, making it useful for researchers in early modern studies.
The 1751 Venice edition, specifically published by Simon Occhi, is often recognized as a comprehensive, late-stage reprint of the landmark 17th-century treatise, making it a reliable but still highly collectable antique.
DISCLAIMER:
I am a collector of historical period ephemera for 30 + years, now retired and liquidating my lifetime collections.
I do NOT have authoritative expertise in rare books; my undergraduate training is in Finance, not in history or Latin.
I would be glad to take additional pictures, translations to facilitate an informed decision as to condition and authenticity.
I do have 3 more similar 18th century vellum/typescript volumes from the Professor Hayden White estate sale in Pacific Palisades, CA however they are NOT the other volumes of the set of forensic medicine books, they are all ecclesiastical and scholarly LATIN,
can be listed on EBAY on request.
SHIPPING: USPS MEDIUM FLAT RATE BOX, due to protect and securely ship the manuscript, seller agrees to absorb all shipping
and costs that exceed a $20.00 flat rate, and seller agrees to pay for insurance for any final value price that exceeds $100.00.
EBAY INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING clients are welcome; however 2 caveats: Caveat # 1 - your home country may require payment
of additional taxes and customs. Caveat # 2 - the scarcity of this type of 18th century manuscript can make it susceptible the obvious, at same time - I'm happy to ship anywhere that EBAY INTL SHIPPING ships using only that specific program.
PURVEYED "AS IS, AS FOUND" without alteration at estate sale of UCLA Scholar, Professor, & Historian Hayden White, Pacific
Palisades, California.
Please view the descriptions, photographs, condition notes, and compare "comps" of my competitors then make our own decision
as to value and suitability for your intended purpose.
My historical period/ephemera listings may not always be the "blue light", low-price special but they are high quality, authentic -
guaranteed, and I always do what I say I will do. Your questions in advance are welcome via EBAY communications.