Compendium of learned medical texts (Miscellanea Medica VI)

Contents

1. f. 2r Illustration of a vein man, with explanatory text

2. f. 2v Astrological chart

3. ff. 3r-4r Commentary on the five opening lines of the Carmina de urinis of Gilles de Corbeil

The Carmina de urinis, written by Gilles de Corbeil in the late twelfth-century, was one of the key components of the medieval Articella, the corpus of texts that medical students were expected to learn and know. On Gilles's life and works, see Mireille Ausécache, 'Gilles de Corbeil, ou le médecin pédagogue au tournant des XIIe et XIIIe siècles', Early Science and Medicine 3:3 (1998), pp. 187-214.

Incipit: 'Dictur urina quum sit renibus una....'

Explicit: '…ad mediam regionem urine uel suppremam'.

4. f. 4r-v Recipe for ulcers

Incipit: 'Pocio probata per magistrum galterum de M contra uulcera noua et uetera...'

Explicit: '...et in lacte dulci coquitur et tepida explicetur. Hoc emplastrum optimum esse probatur.'

5. ff. 5r-12v Johannes de Sancto Paulo, Flores dietarum

Incipit: 'Corpus nostrum ex iiii constat humoribus...'

Explicit: '…qui tibi donet gratiam sue misericordie et ueniam peccatorum qui sit benedictus in secula seculorum amen'.

6. ff. 13r-34 Matthaeus Platearius, Circa instans

Incipit: 'Circa instans negocium in simplicibus medicinis...'

Explicit: '...iam lasso pollice sistat opus. Explicit liber platearii de singulari et simplici medicina.'

On Matthaeus Platearius's Circa instans see Frank J. Anderson, An Illustrated History of the Herbals (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997), pp. 45-50; and Minta Collins, Medieval Herbals: The Illustrative Traditions (London: The British Library, 2000), pp. 239, 243, 285-286, 298, 307-308.

7. f. 34r-v List of diseases

Begins: 'De dolore capitis'

Ends :'De duricie splenis'.

8. f. 34v Medical receipts

9. ff. 35r-56 Glossulae quatuor magistrorum edited by Guido Aretinus, abbreviated

Incipit: 'Sicut dicit constantinus humores temperamentum exeuntes faciunt causam morbi...'

Explicit (f. 55r): '...quoniam comedere semel nocet eis sicut dict auicenna. Explicit'. [Followed by a further portion of the work, which had been omitted by the scribe at fol. 54v, line 52: it is marked with a sign -o- at beginning and end].

8. ff. 56r-65r Nicholas of Salerno, Antidotarium

Incipit: 'Ego nicolaus rogatus a quibusdam in practica medicina studere uolentibus...'

Explicit: '...copiam nummorum et amicorum plenitudine glorientur'.

9. ff. 65r-66v Serapion Junior, Libri aggregationum, incomplete

Incipit: 'Postquam uidi librum dyascoridis et librum G. in medicinis simplicibus... '

Ends imperfectly: '…immutando. in primum. et immutacio medicine curauit'.

10. ff. 67r-69r Otho Candidus, Constitutiones, incomplete

Incipit: 'Incipiunt constitutiones Otonis Quoniam decet domui domini sanctitudo...'

Ends imperfectly: '...decreuimus fore priuatum'.

11. ff. 69r-78v Ottobonus, Constitutiones, incomplete

Incipit: Statuta uenerabilis patris in christo Domini Ottoboni Sancti Adriani diaconi cardinalis Apostolice sedis in Anglia legati pupplicata in generali concilio eiusdem legati in ecclesia Sancti Pauli Londonie. Mense aprilis die lune proxima ante diem Sancti Marci Evangeliste Anno domini MoCCmo sexagesimo octauo. [O]ttobonus apostolice sedis legatus miseracione diuina Sancti Adriani diaconus…'

Ends imperfectly: '…de excommunicato capiendo denegetur cum regulis [?] contingat inde [?]…'

12. f. 79r Receipt

Begins: 'Confectio pulueris sine pauore, gallice sains peur...'

Late 13th Century

1 volume 79 ll. folio. 31 x 21 1/2 cm. On vellum; modern half calf binding over wooden boards in 15th century monastic style. The end of the 'Liber aggregationum' of Serapion Junior-after fol. 66, and the end of the 'Constitutiones' of Ottobonus-after fol. 78, are wanting. Many leaves are stained and worn.

Purchased at Sotheby's 26/6/1913, Lot 1346.

Nos. 1 and 2 It is suggested that 'Magister Galterus de M' of No. 2 may perhaps be Gualterus Agilon, who wrote 'Glossule super versus Egidii', of which it is stated by Wickersheimer 'cet ouvrage n'a pas été retrouvé jusqu'ici' [Cf. 'Dictionnaire biographique des médecins en France au Moyen Age'. 1936. Vol. I. s.v. 'GAUTIER Agilon'], and that No. 1 in this Collection is the missing work. In this case the 'M' would refer to Montpellier. He is referred to as 'Montispelliensis' in some MSS. of his other works (op. cit.). Nos. 8 and 9, printed in William Lyndwood's 'Constitutiones provinciales' by Pynson [London. 1499). [See the Dictionary of National Biography s.v. Lyndwood.].

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).