952J Charleton, Walter 619-1707.
Onomasticon zoicon, plerorumque animalium differentias & nomina propria pluribus linguis exponens. Cui accedunt mantissa anatomica; et quædam de variis fossilium generibus. Autore Gualtero Charletono, M.D. Caroli II. Magnæ Britanniæ Regis, medico ordinario, & Collegii Medicorum Londinensium Socio With “De variis fossilium generibus.
ImprintLondini : apud Jacobum Allestry Regalis Societatis Typographum, MDCLXVIII. [1668] Price $4,000
Quarto 29.5 x 16cm. signatures π⁴ a⁴ b² B-2X⁴ 2Y².., [8] leaves of plates (some folded): ill. (metal cuts) ; Notes Half-title (signed A[1]) reads: Gualteri Charletoni Onomasticon zoicon. The two leaves following p. 213 consist of facing divisional title pages ( Ee4v and Ff1r), each reading “De variis fossilium generibus”. The other side of each leaf is blank. Perhaps one of the leaves was intended to be cancelled. This copy is bound in contemporary full leather binding, spine with six raised bands and gilt title, visible signs of wear hinges cracked but solid structure. Internally in good condition: large engraved plates, crisp paper, clear engravings. Professional restoration to one print. Marginal defects consistent with age.
There is a list giving the Latin and Greek, and sometimes English, names of all the animals known at that time, with brief descriptions. It contains also an anatomical description of the dissection of two fishes done by Charleton, and a general description of fossils. The British Museum Catalogue (Nat. Hist.) calls for 7 plates; 8 are present in this copy.
The Onomasticon Zoicon is a pioneering work of systematic zoology and one of the first modern attempts to construct an animal taxonomy based on linguistic and morphological criteria. Walter Charleton, already known for his medical-philosophical works, here creates a catalog that is not limited to the description of animals but also records their specific names in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English, demonstrating surprising comparative erudition. This approach makes the work a kind of universal lexicon of the fauna known in the 17th century, anticipating the great naturalistic encyclopedias of the following century.
This zoological section is followed by an Anatomical Mantissa, in which the author proposes observations drawn from real dissections and physiological reasoning that reflect the contemporary debate between Galenic medicine and mechanistic medicine. Although not a trained anatomist, Charleton shows a remarkable ability to synthesize the most up-to-date theories of his time, including those related to blood circulation, the respiratory system, and the function of internal organs. The volume concludes with a treatise on fossils, representing one of the first appearances of the topic in an encyclopedic work. Charleton interprets fossils not only as curiosities of nature but as objects worthy of scientific classification, anticipating the interest in paleontology and geology that would fully develop in the 18th century. Despite his approach remaining partly anchored in mythical-theological explanations, he introduces an observational perspective that places him among the pioneers of modern naturalistic thought.
Walter Charleton was the personal physician of Charles I of England and an early member of the Royal Society. A natural philosopher and popularizer of Epicurean thought, he authored numerous treatises on physiology, philosophy, and natural history. His thought lies between Cartesian mechanism and Baroque vitalism, and he contributed to the transition from Galenic medicine to modern experimental science.
Wing (2nd ed., 1994), C3688; Wellcome II, 324; Krivatsy 2343 Thorndike, History of Magic and Experimental Science, vol. VIII; ESTC (RLIN),; R016157;
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