Among the books held by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, a pocket-sized copy of Dioscorides’ De medica materia libri sex, published in Lyon in 1547 in Jean Ruel’s Latin translation, holds a special place. It is the oldest book in the Academy’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and is held in the library of its Division for the History of Medical Sciences under inventory number 3238. The volume comprises 324 leaves, and its text block measures just 11.4 × 8 × 3.2 cm.

Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician of the first century AD, described natural substances of plant, animal and mineral origin, their preparation and their medicinal uses. His work remained a major source of medical and pharmaceutical knowledge for centuries. Renaissance editions, translations and commentaries enabled its further dissemination and reassessment in the light of new knowledge. The six books indicated in the title of the Lyon edition also include supplementary material on poisons, while a list of medicinal substances and an index facilitate its use as a reference work.

The documented history of the Academy’s copy adds to its value. A stamp on the title page attests to its former ownership by the Franciscan Library in Sinj, while a handwritten note records its donation to the Department of General, Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy in Zagreb on 22 May 1948. The book subsequently entered the Academy’s Institute for the History of Science. Its preservation forms part of a broader institutional legacy shaped by Hrvoje Tartalja, who linked the history of pharmacy with teaching and museum work, and by Mirko Dražen Grmek, who developed the research institution and its collections.

The copy was digitised in 2018 and underwent conservation and restoration in 2026. Damaged leaves were repaired, the text block was resewn, and new parchment covers and a protective box were made. The restoration has stabilised the volume for continued preservation, research and future museum display. Collaboration between the Division for the History of Medical Sciences and the Croatian Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts demonstrates how sustained scholarly stewardship of the library collection is carried forward through practical conservation measures. The planned inclusion of the original volume and its digital facsimile in the Museum’s permanent exhibition will give this Renaissance reference work a new educational role while preserving the material evidence of its nearly five-century history.