Drawing heavily on Heinrich Steinhowel’s 1473 treatise on the plague, Brunschwig’s Pestbuch describes the origin of the plague, its communication, symptoms, prophylaxis and treatment. A surgeon, Brunschwig had witnessed the plague of 1473. Many of the 23 woodcut illustrations are only loosely related to the text, consist of composites, and reappear throughout the text and in other works printed by Gruninger.

Brunschwig, Hieronymus, approximately 1450-approximately 1512. Pestbuch (Strasbourg: Johann (Reinhard) Grüninger, 19 Aug. 1500)

ZDd 15 1500 (Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia)