The Secretes of the Reuerend Maister Alexis of Piemont
Girolami Ruscelli
Ronland Hall
1562
Alchemical books of the early modern period often couched their contents in the language of "secrets," adding a mystical aura even to mundane topics. In this case, "Maister Alexis" was probably a fictional pseudonym, invented to enhance the book's mystique. Most of Rusceli's culinary recipes relate to preserving food like meat or fruit, but other entries include directions for tattoos, making chapstick, or dying hair, leather, and bones.
History of Medicine Collection
