⚠The page exhibits significant bleed-through (ghosting) from the title page on the reverse side. The main text on this side is a four-line address to the reader by Nicolaus Rantana.

NICOLAUS RANTANA

The Brazilian, to the reader. original: "Brasiliehensis." This is a fascinating geographical designation for 1558. While it literally translates as "of Brazil," it is exceptionally early for a literary credit to a Brazilian; it may alternatively be a rare variant spelling for a European city like Basel (usually Basiliensis) or Bratislava (Bratislaviensis).

E. N. 3. 2. This alphanumeric code is likely a library shelf mark or an old inventory number from a historical collection.

Whoever desires to learn the hidden secrets of sacred medicine,
let him take up this present, useful work.
The Goddess's arrows and the threats of the heavens are now in vain, original: "Irrita tela Deæ sunt iam, cœliq́;, minæq́;". The "arrows of the Goddess" (likely referring to Diana) and "threats of the sky" (astrological omens) were common metaphors for the sudden and seemingly random strike of diseases like the plague.
since here is the wisdom that may relieve every ill.

[A faded heraldic emblem is centered on the page. It features a decorative shield, though the specific details are obscured by time and the transparency of the paper. A star or sun motif is faintly visible at the center of the shield.]

The text is written in elegiac couplets, a classical form of Latin poetry consisting of alternating lines of dactylic hexameter and pentameter. This style was frequently used by Renaissance humanists to lend an air of authority and elegance to scientific works. The "q́;" symbols seen in the original are standard scribal abbreviations for "que" (meaning "and").