Bed bugs are parasitic insects in the genus Cimex that feed exclusively on blood. Bed bugs have been known as human parasites for thousands of years. The Hortus Sanitatis (Garden of Health), the first natural history encyclopedia, was published by Jacob Meydenbach in Germany, 1491. He describes plants and animals (both real and mythical) together with minerals and various trades, with their medicinal value and method of preparation. The hand-colored woodcut illustrations are stylized but often easily recognizable. 1547 edition.

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Hortus Sanitatis, Bed Bugs, 1547

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