The Museum of the History of Medicine and Pharmacy

The library’s collections are enriched with remarkable old works, created between the 16th and 19th centuries: books and periodicals, manuscripts, diplomas, iconographic materials. These works constitute the Special Collections, housed in the Museum Room of the History of Medicine and Pharmacy.

The oldest documentary units in the Special Collections of the “George Emil Palade” UMFST Library in Târgu Mureș are distributed as follows:

• Publications from the 16th century, years 1532–1572 – 13 titles;
• Publications from the 17th century, years 1606–1700 – 10 titles;
• Publications from the 18th century, years 1701–1800 – 189 titles;
• Publications from the 19th century, years 1801–1900 – 1581 titles.

The oldest work in this collection is:

1532 – Epitome opusculi de curandis pusculis ulceribus & doloribus morbi Gallici, mali franzos appellati, Basileae, author: Laurentio Phrisio, shelf mark CV 26

Other works published in the 16th century, in chronological order:

• 1533 – Johane Hasfurto Virdungo, Nova medicinae methodus curandi morbus: ex Mathematica scientia deprompta, nunc denuo revisa, & exactissime emendata, Haganoae, shelf mark CV 21
• 1534 – Cristophoro Heyll, Hoc in volumine haec continentur: artificialis medicatio, constans paraphrasi in Galeni Librum de Artis Medicae Constitutione, Mogunt, shelf mark CV 22
• 1551 – Eucharij Rhodionis, De Partu hominis et quae circa ipsum accidunt, adeoque de parturientum et infantium morbis atque cura, Francoforti, shelf mark CV 69
• 1557 – Arnoldi Novicomensis, Joannem Curionem, De conservanda bona valetudine, opusculum scholae Salernitanae, ad regem Angliae, Germanicis Rhytmis illustratum [Collected], Frankfurt, shelf mark CV 69
• 1563 – Pierre Franco, Traité des hernies [Manuscript], Lyon, shelf mark CV 87
• 1563 – Apoteken Tax der Stadt Anneberg und Wuerderung aller Erztneye so in der Apoteken alda verkaufft werden, Mittenwald, shelf mark CV 8
• 1566 – Conrad Gessner, Moschionos peri gynaikeion pathon, id est, Moschionis medici graeci de morbis muliebribus liber unus, Basileae, shelf mark CV 7
• 1568 – Budaeum, G., Tusanum, J., Gesnerum, K., Lexicon Ellinoro. Maikon, hoc est, Dictionarium Graecolatinum supra omnes editiones postremò nunc hoc anno ex variis et multis praestantioribus linguae Graecae, Basileae, shelf mark CV 78
• 1570 – Alexander von Süchten, Michael Toxites, Liber unus De secretis Antimonii. Das ist, Von der grossen heymligkeit, des Antimonii die Artzney belangent: Allen Medicis nottwendig zu wissen [Collected], Strasburg, 1568, shelf mark CV 48
• 1570 – Petrus Kertzenmacher, Cardinal Gilberti, Alchimia: das ist, Alle Farben, Wasser, Olea, Salia, und Alumina, damit mann alle Corpora, Spiritus und Calces prepariert, sublimiert und fixiert, zubereiten: Und wie mann diese Dinge nütze, auf daß Sol und Luna werden möge: Auch von Solvieren und, Frankfurt am Main, shelf mark CV 48
• 1571 – Michael Toxites, Philippus Theophrastus Paracelsus, Von dem Bad Pfeffers, Gelegen in Ober Schweitz, Von seinen Tugenden, Kräften, und Wirkung, Ursprung und Herkommen, Regiment und Ordinantz. Durch Den hochgelehrten und erfahrenen beider Artzney Doctorem Philippum Theophrastum Paracelsum, Strasburg, shelf mark CV 48
• 1572 – Paracelsum, Adam von Bodenstein, Drey herrliche Schrifften Herren Doctors, Theophrasti, von Hohenheim: Allen Stenden, so durchs geschwätz und ungeseuffer, vermeinter Artzeten verführt werden, Basel, shelf mark CV 48

The works in the Special Collections are in the process of being digitized and are made available to users through the Institutional Digital Repository.

In addition to the written documents, the museum hosts medical and pharmaceutical instruments and objects, testimonies to the evolution of medicine and pharmacy: medicine boxes, pharmaceutical jars, pharmacy scales, devices for extracting plant concentrates, stamps and seals, pharmaceutical emblems, diplomas, and medals.