An essay on culinary poisons : containing cautions relative to the use of laurel-leaves, hemlock, mushrooms, copper-vessels, earthen jars, &c. with observations on the adulteration of bread and flour, and the nature and properties of water.

Accession number: 
PML 199096
Author: 
Robertson, J. (Joseph), 1726-1802, attributed name.
Published: 
London : Printed for G. Kearsly, at no. 46, near Serjeants Inn, Fleet-Street, MDCCLXXXI [1781]
Credit: 
Gift of Jamie Kamph in honor of the Morgan's Centennial, 2024.
Description: 
45 pages ; 21.4 cm
Notes: 

With a half-title.
Anonymous. Attributed to Joseph Robertson. Cf. Blake.
"Remarks on the adulteration of bread and flour" extracted from a treatise "On the nature of bread, honestly and dishonestly made", published in 1757, by James Manning, M.D.-- page 25.
Observations on water, extracted from Dr. Rotherham's Philosophical Enquiry, &c.-- page 28.
Three lines of Ovid on title page below title.
Binder's statement in ML&M files: This curious pamphlet was rescued from obscurity by a Lambertville bookseller, who set it aside to show me in its dirty, unbound state. He knew I would find it irresistible. I took to heart its warnings about "death in the pot" resulting from naïve use of poisonous foods, and used images of the poisons described to decorate the bilious green goatskin binding: hemlock, mushrooms, laurel-- all set in a silk brocade box. Beguiling poison binding dates from 2021 in pandemic lockdown.

Binding: 
Full green goatskin, applied goatskin onlay, embossing, and gold tooling; silk brocade covered clamshell box. Binding and housing by Jamie Kamph.
Inscriptions/Markings: 

Inscribed name partially visible in upper right corner of half-title recto; cut off when text block was trimmed.

Provenance: 
Gift of Jamie Kamph in 2024.
Classification: 
Department: