Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.3.51
Platearius and other medical texts
Physical Description
20th-century foliation:
1-5 | 6-81, 84-90, 92-104, 106-116 | 117-130
Folio numbers 82-83, 91 and 105 assigned to leaves no longer present in the volume (as per historic foliation practice at Cambridge University Library). Foliated in the upper outer corner of each recto in pencil in Hindu-Arabic numerals.Collation
This manuscript is a composite volume comprising 16 quires from three originally separate sources (Quire 1 | Quires 2-14 | Quires 15-16). Quires 11 and 13 are both irregular. Annotations by Charles Sayle on ff. 92r and 106r show that it was previously thought that each of these quires lacked a leaf. However, comparison of the text in this volume with that found in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 79 confirms that no text is missing, which would ordinarily point to these leaves having been cancelled. The typical arrangement in this volume is 'HFFH', meaning the hair side faces outwards on each quire, and the sides match across openings: hair sides facing hair sides, and flesh sides facing flesh sides. However, irregularities in the disposition of hair and flesh sides in the leaves of parchment in these quires point to more complicated changes having taken place.
In Quire 11, the hair/flesh sequence continues normally until f. 88v (=flesh) and f. 89r (=hair). Folios 89-90 are a bifolium, after which may be seen a stub that is conjoint with f. 88. However, there is no irregularity in the hair/flesh sequence at this juncture: f. 90v (=hair) and f. 92r (=hair). It appears, therefore, that at the time of production the scribe replaced or inverted the 6th and 7th leaves of the quire, arranging them with the flesh side facing inwards (rather than outwards, as would have been the usual arrangement), as well as cancelling the 8th leaf. The intention may perhaps have been to disguise the cancellation by arranging the leaves in such a way that an interruption to the disposition of the leaves was less visible.
In Quire 13, a similar pattern of behaviour is detectable. Although the 2nd leaf has been cancelled (after f. 104), there is no interruption to the disposition there: f. 104v (=flesh) and f. 106r (=flesh). The stub that is visible between these leaves is conjoint with f. 112. At that location, however, there is an interruption to the disposition: f. 112v (=hair) and f. 113 (=flesh). Again, after having made a cancellation, the scribe appears to have rearranged the disposition of the remaining bifolia, disguising the removal of the leaf at this place where the cancellation was made.
Quire 15 is more difficult to construe correctly. It comprises six single leaves, now stitched behind Quire 14, and are of an uncertain original structure. The disposition of hair and flesh sides does not assist in determining whether that were once part of a quire or have been arranged in such a way as to reflect the typical arrangement of the leaves in a quire.
The collation of the volume is as follows:
- Quire 110-5 (ff. 1-5: 6th-10th leaves cancelled) |
- Quires 2-38 (ff. 6-21)
- Quire 412 (ff. 22-33)
- Quire 58 (ff. 34-41)
- Quire 610 (ff. 42-51)
- Quires 7-98 (ff. 52-75)
- Quire 108-2 (ff. 76-81: 7th and 8th leaves, ff. 82-83 excised, probably blank)
- Quire 1112-1 (ff. 84-95: one leaf cancelled; see above for further details)
- Quire 128 (ff. 96-103)
- Quire 1310-1 (ff. 104, 106-113: one leaf cancelled; see above for further details)
- Quire 144-1 (ff. 114-116: 1st leaf cancelled) |
- Quire 15six (ff. 117-122: six single leaves stitched behind Quire 14)
- Quire 168 (ff. 123-130)
110-5 (6th-10th leaves excised) | 2-38 412 58 610 7-98 108-2(7-8th leaves excised) 1112-1 (one leaf cancelled) 128 1310-1 (one leaf cancelled) 144-1 (1st leaf cancelled) | 15six 168
No leaf signatures pertaining to the entire volume.
No quire signatures pertaining to the entire volume.
No catchwords pertaining to the entire volume.Additions
Quire signatures ('1-14') in the bottom right-hand corner of the recto side of the first leaf of each quire, and '+' in the same position on the first leaf after the centre of the quire, written in pencil by a hand of the 19th/20th century. This sequence begins on Quire 2, omits Quire 15, and numbers Quire 16 as '14' (see Collation).
Notes by Charles Sayle (1864-1924) concerning missing leaves on ff. 81v, 92r and 106r (see Collation for further discussion).
The inside of the rear cover contains a collation statement, written in pencil by the hand of H.L. Pink . This differs from the structure presented in this record (see Collation).
Binding
Bound in the (?first half) of the 17th century. Rebacked. Fully bound in leather over millboards with matching decoration on both covers. Each cover is decorated in blind with a triple-fillet frame with Oxford corners set at the perimeter of the boards, and an additional triple-fillet parallel with the joints and inset by c. 10mm. Five raised bands on spine. Spine compartments are decorated with a double-fillet at the upper and lower perimeter of each compartment. Title of the volume 'PLATEARIUS' tooled in gold in one compartment, and the shelfmark, 'Dd.3.51' tooled in gold in another. No pastedowns; inner faces of the boards exposed. Head, fore, and tail edges of the bookblock stained red.
The inside of the front cover contains:
- A King George I donation bookplate (see Acquisition)
- A 'D' in pencil for a size-based classification system in use at CUL
- A stamp added in December 1954 when the volume was repaired by J.P. Gray and son
History
Provenance and Acquisition
John Moore (1646-1714) , bishop of Ely: no. 10 in Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697) (p. 361).
Presented to the University Library in 1715 by George I (1660-1727) : donation bookplate engraved by John Pine (1690-1756) in 1736 present on the inside of the front cover.
Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.3.51, ff. 1r-5v]
Contents
Lower part of ff. 2 and 5 cut off.
Similar versions of this text in:
- Cambridge, Peterhouse MS 178, ff. 1r-9r
- Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, MS 1025, ff. 83r-88r
- London, British Library, Sloane MS 418, ff. 328-332
Written in cursive script by a 16th-century hand
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 110-5 (ff. 1-5: 6th-10th leaves excised)
Condition
Layout
205 × 120 mm. Four columns with 48 lines to the page, frame- and line ruled in leadpoint. Written above the top line. Fifteen vertical bounding lines, all extending the hight of the page. The first, the third, the third last and the last horizontal bounding lines extending almost the width of the page.
Hand(s)
Written in littera textualis script.
Decoration
Rubrication in red in on f. 1r; unfilled spaces left for rubrication on ff. 1v-5r.
History
Dated to the second half of the 12th century by Binski and Zutshi (see Part 2), however the hand looks later. The text is written above top line, indicating a date before the mid-13th century.
Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.3.51, ff. 6r-116v]
Contents
Attributed to Joannes Platearius in the rubric, which was added by a 14th-century hand.
Folio 19v blank, presumably owing to the poor quality of the parchment.
Recipe added by a ?15th-century hand. For a pill for purging black bile, yellow bile, ?burning in digestion ('adustam'), urine of the 'citrinus' type and ?'vitell'', and for blockage of the spleen and liver, and 'several other illnesses' ('nonnullas alias egritudines'). The recipe is attributed to Master Paul of Middleburg ('Secundum magistrum paulum de Middelburgo'), perhaps Paulus de Middelburg (1455-1534) , a medieval scientist and the bishop of Fossombrone.
Rubric added in the upper margin in a 16th-century English hand.
Prologue on f. 42r: 'Amicum induit qui iustis amicorum precibus condescendit ... optatum prebuit effectum'
Added by another hand, possibly English. Three for flux in the stomach/dysentery (the second attributed to Galen) and to stop bleeding.
The list ends abruptly; most of 81v is empty.
A break occurs after section on Malum mortuum
Written in the bottom margin by a 13th century hand. For watering eyes.
Written by a 13th-century hand, for an unspecified purpose.
The Maurus of the title may be Maurus Salernitanus
Contains at least one medical recipe interspersed with the definitions ('Accipe Tapsum barbarum superiorum...') and another for pain in the gums and teeth ('[C]ontra dolorem gingiuarum et dencium').
Physical Description
Collation
Thirteen quires, mostly of 8 leaves.
Quires 11 and 13 are irregular. See the main description of the collation for further details.
- Quires 2-38 (ff. 6-21)
- Quire 412 (ff. 22-33)
- Quire 58 (ff. 34-41)
- Quire 610 (ff. 42-51)
- Quires 7-98 (ff. 52-75)
- Quire 108-2 (ff. 76-81: 7th and 8th leaves, ff. 82-83 excised, probably blank)
- Quire 1112-1 (ff. 84-95: one leaf cancelled; see above for further details)
- Quire 128 (ff. 96-103)
- Quire 1310-1 (ff. 104, 106-113: one leaf cancelled; see above for further details)
- Quire 144-1 (ff. 114-116: 1st leaf cancelled)
Quire signatures ('I-VIII' for Quires 2-9 and 'X-XII' for Quires 11-13) in the centre of the bottom margin of the verso side of the last leaf of each quire, written in ink. The missing signature for 'IX' (now Quire 10) suggests that the quire was numbered before the text was copied, and the signature lost when the final two blank leaves were excised.
Catchwords in the bottom right hand corner of the verso side of the last leaf of most quires. There words in the bottom margin of f. 116v may also be a catchword, suggesting the loss of one or more quires at this juncture.Condition
Layout
200-215 × 145-165 mm. Double columns with 29-39 lines to the page, ruled in leadpoint, written above top line (except for f. 116v, in a single column).
Hand(s)
Written in protogothic script.
Decoration
'Arabesque' initials in red, green, dark blue and ochre (2-17 lines), throughout the manuscript. some with decorative dotting at their perimeter.
History
Part 3 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.3.51, ff. 117r-130v]
Contents
Begins imperfectly, apparently part-way through Book Six; Book Seven ('De Febribus') begins on f. 119r (rubric on f. 118v). It is unclear whether the next item is a continuation of this or a separate text.
It is unclear whether this is a continuation of the previous item or a separate text.
Several recipes for fevers, the first attributed to a Thomas of Carlisle ('bene curabitur secundum thomam de Carlel').
For all types of leprosy and numerous other illnesses.
Chs 1-6, 9, unidentified, 10-13, 15, unidentified (5 rubricated sub-headings), 16, 21, 20, unidentified (5 rubricated sub-headings), 41 of the Cantalupo edition of the text. Chs 1-8, 11-12, unidentified, 13-17, 19, unidentified (5 rubricated sub-headings), 20, 25, 24, unidentified (5 rubricated sub-headings), 46 of the Green list of capitula to the Practica.
This text exists in two other known copies:
This version of the text was identified by Tuija Ainonen in 2022 as part of the Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries project.
Physical Description
Collation
Quire 15 comprises six single leaves, now stitched behind Quire 14 and of an uncertain original structure (the disposition of hair and flesh sides suggests that they may have once been part of a quire, or else have been arranged to reflect the typical arrangement of the leaves in a quire).
- Quire 15six (ff. 114-122: six single leaves stitched behind Quire 14 at a later date)
- Quire 168 (ff. 123-130)
Layout
220 × 180 mm. Unruled. Single columns, 35-37 lines to the page.
Hand(s)
Written in Anglicana Formata.
Decoration
Text and section titles in red.
Unfilled spaces for minor initials.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card. For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Joining the Library). For further enquiries, and to confirm the availability of the manuscript, please contact the Special Collections Reading Room.
Bibliography
-
Collectio Salernitana ossia documenti inediti, e trattati di medicina appartenenti
alla scuola
medica Salernitana, De Renzi, SalvatoreDaremberg, Charles VictorHenschel, G. E. T. (Naples, Tipografia
del Filiatre-Sebezio, 1852)
A catalogue of the manuscripts preserved in the library of the University of Cambridge, (Cambridge, 1: Dd, Cambridge University Press, 1856)
Anglo-Norman medicine. - Vol.1: Roger Frugard's "Chirurgia"; "Practica Brevis" of
Platearius, Hunt, Tony (Cambridge, D.S. Brewer, 1994)
L'inedito opuscolo di pratica terapeutica della medichessa salernitana Trota. La Practica
secundum Trotam: Testo, traduzione, appendici e glossario Bollettino storico di Salerno
e Principato Citra, Cantalupo, Piero (13, 1/2, 1-104, 1995, http://elea.unisa.it/handle/10556/2070)
La Practica de Plateario: edición crítica, traducción y estudio Edizione nazionale
dei testi mediolatini d'Italia, (Firenze, SISMEL: edizioni del Galluzzo, 2016)
Funding of Cataloguing
Wellcome
Digital Images
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
