Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 401/623

Medical treatises

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, like many others included in the Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries project was once owned or used by Roger Marchall (c. 1417-1477) , a doctor and physician to King Edward IV. Marchall added titles to some of the treatises in the volume. Marchall's ownership or use of manuscripts is very well-attested, with forty-five surviving books (including this one) bearing evidence to connect him to them in some way; six others may have been his or accessed by him, and a further twelve are recorded but not traced. This volume does not have Marchall's signature, or a table of contents in his hand, which are both features found in many of the other books he owned and used, but Marchall's distinctive hand is evident in the titles added in the upper margins of pp. 63 ('Passionarius platearii'), 96 ('Modus medendi Ricardi medici probatissimi'), and 167 ('Glosa platearii super antidotarium Nicholai'). As described by Linda Voigts, the present manuscript is one of eighteen (possibly nineteen) manuscripts at Gonville and Caius College that may be linked to Marchall, and which were probably donated by him to Gonville Hall (as Gonville and Caius then was); King's College and Peterhouse, where the study of medicine was also supported, received gifts of books from him too. Thirteen manuscripts owned or used by Marchall (and another with possible Marchall connections) have been digitised, catalogued and conserved as part of the Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries project: Dr Sarah Gilbert| Project Cataloguer |Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries References:
See L. Voigts, 'A doctor and his books: the manuscripts of Roger Marchall (d. 1477)', in R. Beadle and A. J. Piper (eds.), New science out of old books: studies in manuscripts and early printed books in honour of A.I. Doyle (Aldershot, 1995) pp. 249-314

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: 3 et si
Form: codex
Support: A composite manuscript, all Parts of parchment and a single paper endleaf at each end of the volume.
Extent: Codex: i + 9 | 98 | 4 | 1 + i leaves.
Foliation:

17th-century pagination.

[i-ii] + 1-18 | 19-214 | 215-222 | 223-224 + [iii-iv]

Paginated in ink in the upper outer corner of each recto and verso. The paper endleaves are unpaginated in the manuscript; the designations in square brackets [i-ii] and [iii-iv] were assigned in 2023 by the Curious Cures project in the preparation of the online catalogue record for this item.

Collation

This is a composite volume with three Parts, the first Part, unusually, is divided into two sub-Parts, the first sub-Part at the opening of the volume, and the second sub-Part as the penultimate item in the volume, so the composite structure can be understood as: Part 1, Part 2, Part 1, Part 3. The quires are arranged as follows:

  • Quire 18 (pp. 1-16)
  • Quire 2one (pp. 17-18) |
  • Quire 34 (pp. 19-26)
  • Quires 4-58 (pp. 27-58)
  • Quire 62 (pp. 59-62)
  • Quire 78 (pp. 63-78)
  • Quire 84 (pp. 79-86)
  • Quire 96 (pp. 87-98)
  • Quires 10-114 (pp. 99-114)
  • Quires 12-138 (pp. 115-146)
  • Quire 144 (pp. 147-154)
  • Quire 156 (pp. 155-166)
  • Quires 16-188 (pp. 167-214) |
  • Quire 194 (pp. 215-222) |
  • Quire 20one (pp. 223-224)

18 2one (1 leaf remains) | 34 4-58 62 78 84 96 10-114 12-138 144 156 16-188 | 194 | 20one (1 leaf remains)

Alphanumeric medieval leaf signatures in ink in the lower outer corner of the rectos in the first half of each quire. This signature sequence begins at p. 17, which has the designation 'k i', and continues throughout the volume ending with z, the typical medieval 'con' abbreviation, and three dots arranged in an inverted triangle for the final three quires according to the sequence.

Additions

Quire signatures ('a-b, 1-16, c-d') in the bottom right-hand corner of the recto side of the first leaf of each quire, written in pencil by a hand of the 19th/20th century (no longer indicative: see Collation).

Binding

Early 17th-century binding. Fully bound in leather over paste- or millboards with matching decoration in blind to front and rear covers. Covers are decorated with two concentric quadruple-fillet frames, the outermost frame set at the perimeter of the boards, the innermost frame inset by c. 20 mm; the frames are connected at their adjacent corners with a quadruple-fillet. Five raised bands on the spine, the upper and lower perimeters of each compartment decorated with a quadruple fillet. Russia leather labels stained black in two compartments with titles tooled in gold: ‘TRACTATUS MEDICI’ and ‘RIC. DE BARO PLATERARII &c.’. Two printed paper labels fixed to the spine with an adhesive, '623' printed in red, and '401' printed in black - these numbers form the current shelfmark of the volume. Damage to upper spine opening, head band torn away; lower spine opening is capped and no tail band is visible. Decorative roll of an acanthus set in an arch along the turn ins and the head, fore, and tail edges of the cover.

Paper pastedowns over the turn ins. One paper endleaf at each end of the volume (ff. [i] and [ii]). The front pastedown contains a Gonville and Caius bookplate with the numbers '623' and '401' written in ink, and the note ‘975. Pr. lat(?) ’ in ink in a corner of the plate.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Titles to medical works in the hand of Roger Marchall (c. 1417-1477) on pp. 63, 96, 167. Marchall was a physician who donated several medical manuscripts to Gonville and Caius and who seems to have consulted (and annotated) many of the medical manuscripts belonging to various Cambridge College Libraries during his lifetime. For more information see L. Voigts, 'A Doctor And His Books'.

The name 'Humfridus Bohun' (Humphrey Bohun) appears in the outer margin of p. 201 in light brown ink in a hand of early-modern aspect. This Humphrey Bohun is probably the Humphrey Bohun who matriculated at St John's College in 1552 and was a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College c. 1566-1567. There are several other minor pen trials and scribbles in Bohun's hand throughout the volume.

Venn:ACAD BHN552H

No acquisition information recorded by the College, but probably given to the College by either Marchall (before 1477) or Bohun (probably before 1567).

Part 1 [Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 401/623, pp. 1-18 and pp. 215-222]

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. 1-18 and 215-222
Practica (Rogerina maior) Rogerius de Baron (attrib.)
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: || 1 sis reumaticis non debet fieri flebotomia sicut intellige in apparentibus sanis
Explicit: 222 et tunc liquefi cer(?)ea rubea ||

This Part of the manuscript has been broken into two sections, one at the beginning of the manuscript (pp. 1-18) and one towards the end (pp. 215-222), but both sections are by the same scribe and are derived from the same original manuscript. Text begins and ends imperfectly.

Occasional marginal annotations expanding on the content of the text in a contemporary hand.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: 3 et sirope
Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFFH).
Extent: Codex: 9 + 4 leaves. 210 × 145 mm.

Collation

This Part comprises material from 3 quires. One leaf remains of Quire 2:
  • Quire 18 (pp. 1-16)
  • Quire 2one (pp. 17-18) +
  • Quire 194 (pp. 215-222)

Condition

Sewn repair to lower margin of pp. 9-10. Lower margin of pp. 11-12 trimmed away. Two holes in pp. 15-16.

Layout

155 × 105 mm. Ruled in light brown ink, frame and lines. Ruled in two-column format, typically 42 lines to the column, and written below top line.

Hand(s)

Written in a 13th century textualis libraria.

Decoration

Empty spaces for minor initials throughout this Part of the manuscript. No other notable decoration.

History

Origin: 13th century. ; England.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 401/623, pp. 19-214]

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. 19-53
Practica (Rogerina maior) Rogerius de Baron (attrib.)
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: || 19 tenuat splenem. Item. De tercio in tercium affer diasone acuatum cum lapide lazuli.
Explicit: 53 et hoc de sintomatibus sufficiat ||
Final rubric: 53 Explicit maior summa Magistri .R.

Text begins and ends imperfectly. Medical notes recipes in the lower margins of most leaves.

2. 54-62
Rogerina minor Rogerius de Baron (attrib.)
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 54 Incipit minor Rogerina
Incipit: 54 Cum artis medicine due sint partes
Explicit: 62 in quo mulier solet habere menstrua sua
Final rubric: 62 Explicit minor summa magistri R. de baro

Additional medical recipes in the lower margins of most leaves.

eTK 0284C
3. 63-96
Practica breuis Joannes Platearius (fl. c. 1090-1120)
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 63 Amicum induit
Explicit: 96 puluis inde factus cum licinio fistule immittatur.
Final rubric: 96 Explicit a⟨micum⟩ induit

Title in Roger Marchall's hand in the upper margin of p. 63: 'Passionarius Platearii'.

eTK 0484B
eTK 0091D (t0017680000)
4. 96-113
De modo medendi Gerard of Montpellier / Gerard of Cremona
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 96 Cum omnis ars ex suo fine laudabilis existat
Explicit: 113 et hec de medicinis laxatiuis sufficiant
Final rubric: 113 Explicit summa Gerardi de laxatiuis

Title in Roger Marchall's hand in the upper margin of p. 96: 'Modus medendi Ricardi medici probatissimi'.

eTK 0326D (t0063990000)
5. 113-114
De repressiuis Ricardus Anglicus
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 113 Laxatiua solent multum laxando nocere
Explicit: 114 prope radicem in stipite facto foramina cum cer(?)ebello ||

Follows the Summa de laxatiuis of Gerard of Montpellier.

Main text: eTK 0084H/I
Prologue: eTK 0814E
6. 115-152
De simplicibus medicinae ('Circa instans') Mattheus Platearius (d. c. 1161) (attrib.)
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 115 Simplex medicina platearis incipit
Incipit: 115 Circa instans negotium in simplicibus medicinis nostrum uersatur propositum
Explicit: 152 nisi per diuturnam decoctionem

The recension of this text in Gonville and Caius MS 401/623 is closest to the version in Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 14025, ff. 103ra-125rb. The first entry after the prologue begins on p. 115: ‘Aloe est calida et sicca complexionis in secundo gradu’

eTK 0211C
7. 152-153
Treatise on urine
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 152 Et quia corruptum est corrumpit urinam . Uirum et liuorem indicat .
Explicit: 153 quia lapis paruus non multum opilat

Additions medical annotations in the lower margins.

8. 154-166
Medical recipes, perhaps extracts from the Antidotarium magnum
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 154 De oximel iuliani . Oximel iuliani optimum arteticis et podagricis et mirabiliter
Explicit: 166 sanitatem mentis et corporis accipere mereatur qui uiuis et r. d.
Final rubric: 166 finiunt hic exceptiones et meliores Receptiones antidotarii maioris
9. 166
Medical recipe
Language(s): Latin

In the lower margin of p. 166 in a ?15th century hand. For an unstated purpose.

10. 167-200
Commentary on the Antidotarium Nicolai Mattheus Platearius (d. c. 1161)
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 167 Liber iste quem in presentiarum legendum assumpsimus ex multorum antidotis est compilatus
Explicit: 200 Datur in sero cum calida in modum castanee . per .ii. an s'. ||

Title added by Roger Marchall in the upper margin of p. 167: 'Glosa platearii super antidotarium Nicholai'.

eTK 0821H
11. 200
Medical recipes
Language(s): Latin

For unstated purposes. The first recipe is in the left-hand column (for an electuary called 'Leticia' and attributed to Galen), the second is for an uncertain purpose and continues into the right-hand column. The third recipe is attributed to King (?)Theodoric ('Item experimentum regis (?)th[e]od[oricus]') and is also for an uncertain purpose. These were all added by one or more hands,, near-contemporary with the main scribe. The following two recipes were added by a different hand; both for unstated purposes.

The text is similar to Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Pal. lat. 4422, ff. 7r-9r (eTK 0495J).

12. 201-214
De medicamentis
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 201 Humores purgantia generaliter et naturaliter ostensuri ; a flegmagogis nostre orationi non inmerito censuimus dare principiam.
Explicit: 214 Et ista sufficiant de pessariis
eTK 0645L (t0124660000)

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: 21 sileris mon . mastice
Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFFH).
Extent: Codex: 98 leaves. 215 × 145 mm.

Collation

  • Quire 34 (pp. 19-26)
  • Quires 4-58 (pp. 27-58)
  • Quire 62 (pp. 59-62)
  • Quire 78 (pp. 63-78)
  • Quire 84 (pp. 79-86)
  • Quire 96 (pp. 87-98)
  • Quires 10-114 (pp. 99-114)
  • Quires 12-138 (pp. 115-146)
  • Quire 144 (pp. 147-154)
  • Quire 156 (pp. 155-166)
  • Quires 16-188 (pp. 167-214)

Catchwords occasionally found in the lower inner corner of the last verso of each quire, e.g., p. 106.

Condition

The parchment in this part is generally in good condition. Some leaves are stained and have minor liquid damage. Some leaves have ?medieval sewn repairs to slits and holes in the parchment.

Layout

165 × 110 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame and lines. Ruled in double-column format, typically 75 lines to the column and written below top line.

Hand(s)

The main text is copied in an extremely small form of textualis libraria sometimes known as pearl script; this script was particularly popular in western Europe in the 13th century.

There are annotations in the margins of this Part by at least two ?13th century scribes whose marginal notes are written in various forms of textualis currens.

Decoration

Flourished initials with red grounds and blue flourishing or the reverse at the major and minor divisions of the text.

Most texts have rubricated (red only) incipits, explicits, and section headings.

History

Origin: 13th century. ; England.

Part 3 [Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 401/623, pp. 223-224]

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. 223
Medical treatise
Language(s): Latin
Incipit: 223 His odores bonai apponantur frigida aspergantur sorbitiones et fricationes pectoris
Explicit: 223 proportionaliter et utatur ...(?) . et nec est solus et nec curata et conseruata ||

This treatise is divided into small sub-sections of 2-3 lines each, and each is prefixed with a symbol for the most part derived from the Greek alphabet in the following order: cursive minuscule ζ; cursive minsucule δ; unclear; cursive minuscule θ; θ; open φ; cursive minuscule ψ; unclear; dotted cross.

2. 224
Constantinus Africanus, Extract from the Viaticum (Book 7, ch. 17)
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: 224 De Morphea
Incipit: 224 ⟨M⟩orphea est macula in cute ex corruptione nutrimenti
Explicit: 224 Uel aliud accipe fenum humidum . et sub ea quinque uel iiiior carbones ||
eTK 1507A (t0288290000)

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFFH).
Extent: Fragment: 1 leaf. 215 × 145 mm.

Condition

Minor stains on leaf. Text on verso is rubbed and partially clouded by adhesive residue.

Layout

165 × 135 mm. Page 223 is ruled in single-column format. Frame ruled in leadpoint, now very faint, lines ruled blind, pricking visible in outer margin. 45 lines of text, written above top line.

185 × 130 mm. Page 224 is ruled in double-column format. Frame ruled in leadpoint, now very faint, lines ruled blind, pricking visible in outer margin. 45 lines of text, written above top line.

Hand(s)

Page 223 is written in a neat protogothic minuscule of the 12th century.

Page 224 is written in a transitional textualis minuscule of the late 12th or early 13th century that retains protogothic features.

Decoration

There are no decorative features in this Part of the manuscript.

Binding

This leaf (pp. 223-224) was probably once used as a pastedown in a former binding. The leaf has adhesive residue on the verso in a typical pastedown-and-turn-in pattern and has small holes in the centre of the outer margin that may have been caused by a metal fastening fixed to the old binding.

History

Origin: 12th century. ; ?England.

Additional Information

Record Sources

This catalogue entry draws on M. R. James, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Gonville and Caius College, 2. vols (Cambridge, 1908) and unpublished notes on Cambridge medical manuscripts by Dr Debby Banham.

Availability

Visitors to Gonville and Caius College who wish to consult Lower Library material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Gonville and Caius College: Library Information.

Custodial History

Probably the work recorded as no. 81 Medicina Platearii (p. 103) in the Ecloga Oxonio-Cantabrigiensis by Thomas James (1600). There is an '81' in brown ink in the upper margin of p. 1.

No. 975 in Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697). The reference number 975 is recorded in ink on the bookplate on the front pastedown.

Bibliography

    Anglo-Norman medicine. - Vol.1: Roger Frugard's "Chirurgia"; "Practica Brevis" of Platearius, Hunt, Tony (Cambridge, D.S. Brewer, 1994) A doctor and his books: the manuscripts of Roger Marchall (d. 1477) New science out of old books: studies in manuscripts and early printed books in honour of A.I. Doyle, Voigts, Linda Ehrsam (Aldershot, 249-314, Scolar Press, 1995)

Funding of Cataloguing

Wellcome

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

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