Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

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

Cambridge, University Library, MS Ee.6.41

Johannes de Sancto Paulo, Breviarium; Matthaeus Platearius, De simplicibus medicinae

Contents

Introduction: The medical school of Salerno, near Naples in Italy, features prominently in this small but bulky 15th-century manuscript. It contains two popular medical texts. The first is the Breviarium de signis morborum - also known as the Practica - of Johannes de Sancto Paulo (d. c. 1215). This is followed by a work on medicinal simples attributed to another Salernitan author, Matthaeus Platearius (d. 1161), and commonly known by its opening words, 'Circa instans'. In order to facilitate searching, the entries are arranged in alphabetical sections, each starting with a list of contents for the section. After the preface, the author begins with Aloe (De Aloe, f. 124r) and its uses. He ends in entries on the sweetness of Sugar (De Zucharo) and the usefulness of Zedoary (De Zeduarum) (f. 237v-238r) as an antidote to poisonous reptile bites. The survival of over 240 manuscripts of this text testifies to its importance to medieval pharmacology. Tuija Ainonen| Project Cataloguer| Curious Cures in Cambridge Libraries

Language(s): Latin

1. 1r
Medical recipe
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: Contra lapidem stranguriam et coligam passionem

For the stone, strangury and colic. Added by a 15th-century hand.

2. 1v-2r
Medical recipes
Language(s): Latin

Added by a late 15th- or 16th-century hand. Begins with a recipe for aqua vite, and another for an uncertain purpose (rubric partially trimmed, but referencing blood). Followed by two or three other recipes, the last promising to heal women of sterility caused by coldness / frigidity ('Iuvat mulieres sterilos ex causa frigida').

Folios 2r-3v mainly blank, except for the 16th-century notes "Vol. 163" on fol. 3r (see provenance) and table of contents "Breviarium Joh. de Sancto Paulo", "De Medicina. Anonymus" and number "35" on f. 3v.

3. 4r-122v
Breviarium Johannes de Sancto Paulo
Rubric: 4r Incipit Breviarium Magistri Johannis de sancto Paulo
Incipit: (prologue) 4r Assiduis peticionibus mei karissimi socii compendiose morborum signa et causas et curas
Incipit: (text) 4v Quoniam longitudini parcere destinauimus in hoc opere ne pro nimia breuitate
Explicit: 122v Vos secundum scripta ista operamini et et vestra opera dirigite deo omnipotenti. Explicit.

Multiple subdivisions preceded by lists of capitula, that are marked with parchment tags:

  • 59r: De fastidio ... Fastidium fit
  • 82r: De ulnere virge et tumore testiculorum ... Vulneratur virga
  • 96v: De diffinitione et diuisione febris ... Febris est calor naturalis

For other manuscripts, see G. H. Kroemer (1920), p. 59.

Pr. with the works of Serapion, Practica Io. Serapionis dicta breuiarium Venice 1497 (Goff S466) &c.
eTK 0153E
eTK 1284F (t0246580000)
eTK 1284F (t0246590000)
Wickersheimer, 480–81
4. 122v-238r
De simplicibus medicinae ('Circa instans') Matthaeus Platearius (attrib.)
Incipit: (prologue) 122v Circa istud[sic] negocium in simplicibus medicinis nostrum versatur propositum Simplex medicina est
Explicit: 238r Similiter eciam vini odorem ab ore aufert. Explicit.

Arranged alphabetically, it is divided into alphabetical sections, each of which is preceded by a table of contents.

eTK 0084
eTK 0211C
eTK 0212D (t0040710000)

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: 5r Alices oscitationes
Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFFH)
Extent: Codex: ii + 3 + 235 + ii leaves. 170 × 115 mm.
Foliation:

20th-century foliation:

[i-ii] + 1-3 + 4-238 + [iii-iv]

Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos, by an unidentified hand of the 20th century.

Collation

Two early modern paper endleaves (no watermarks) surround the main part of the manuscript. First three parchment endleaves (ff. 1r-3v) were originally blank. Quires 1-29 (ff. 4r-235v) are all gatherings of eight leaves. The final, 30th quire (ff. 236r-238v) consists of three leaves.

  • Quires 1-298 (ff. 4-235)
  • Quire 30three (ff. 236-238)

1-298, 30three

Medieval alpha-numeric signatures in the lower outer corner of the rectos in the first half of each quire in red ink, that ignore the first leaf and bifolium, and start from the fourth quire (f. 20r) with b.i-b.iiii, many subsequent signatures fully or partially trimmed.

Medieval alpha-numeric signatures in the lower outer corner of the rectos in the first half of each quire in black ink, that ignore the first leaf and bifolium, and start from the first quire (f. 4r) with roman numerals i-iiii, second quire (f. 12r) with a.i, third quire (f. 20r) inscribed erraneously c.i-c.iiii. From the fourth quire onward leaf signatures in numeric sequence that combines arabic and roman numbers, starting with 5.i-5.iiii and ending with 30.i-30.iii.

 Catchwords in the lower right-hand corner of the versos of the last folio of each quire.

Layout

120-125 × 65-75 mm. Ruled in ink, both frame and line ruling. Single bounding lines extending the length the page. First two and the last two horizontal lines extending the width of the page. Single columns. 24-26 lines to the page, written below top line.

Hand(s)

Anglicana.

Decoration

Blue initials with red penwork flourishing. Pen-flourishes occasionally include fish (ff. 41v, 46v).

Rubrication in red.

Binding

Fully bound in calf over millboard with matching decoration in blind to left and right covers. Covers are decorated with two concentric double-fillet frames, the outer frame set at the perimeter of the bords, and the inner inset from the outer frame by c. 25mm, both frames with Oxford corners. Fleurons at the outer corners of the inner frame.

Rebacked. No raised bands. Spine compartments separated with single fillets tooled in gold along their upper and lower perimeters. Label in Morocco dyed red, title in gold 'Tracts M.S.' Three oval paper labels affixed to spine, the first 'Ee', the second '6', the third '41'.

Paper pastedowns in left and right covers: a printed edition of Paul of Burgos, Dialogus Pauli et Sauli contra Judæos, sive Scrutinium scripturarum.

History

Origin: 15th century. ; England or France.

Provenance and Acquisition

One of the manuscripts of Richard Holdsworth (1590-1649) , Master of Emmanuel College.

Acquired by the University Library in July 1664: no. *163 in the inventory of Holdsworth's manuscripts compiled by William Crowe (MS Ff.4.27 / Dd.8.45). Vol. 163 inscribed on f. 3r.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description draws on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1857) vol. 2, p. 278.

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.

Custodial History

Recorded as no. 439 in an inventory of Cambridge University Library's manuscripts compiled c. 1672 (now Cambridge, University Library, MS Oo.7.59).

Bibliography

    Johanns von Sancto Paulo: Liber de simplicium medicinarum virtutibus. Und ein anderer Salernitaner Traktat: Quae Medicinae pro quibus morbis donandae sunt nach dem Breslauer Codex herausgegeben . Johanns von Sancto Paulo, Kroemer, Georg Heinrich (Borna-Leipzig, 1920)

Funding of Cataloguing

Wellcome

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

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