Henischs translation of pharmaceutical works

Bardejov-born Georg Henisch (1549-1618) translated four pharmaceutical texts from Latin into German, three works by the French author A. Mizauld and one by Sextus Placitus, an author of the late Classical Period. The Latin texts had been published several times before Henisch translated them, but his translation enables us to identify the original which he used. Henischs German versions were also issued several times in the identical form during his lifetime. All of them were published in quick succession in the years 1574-1575. Apart from these translations, Henisch also produced other works in that period, despite being just 25 years old in 1574 and still a student of medicine in Basle. All four works have a similar theme: unusual curative substances which could be easily procured from plants, metals and animals. They were intended for the general public, belonging in the genre of Kräuterbücher, herbal books, but they do not represent the typical form of this genre, for example not containing any illustrations. In his translations Henisch does not adhere strictly to the original texts, leaving out some smaller parts, translating freely and adapting his version to suit his German readers.