Londres. Wellcome Library, MS.397

Biblissima authority file: https://data.biblissima.fr/entity/Q149736

  • Other Form of the Shelfmark :
    • London. Wellcome Collection, MS.397
    • London. Wellcome Library, MS.397
    • Londres. Wellcome Library, MS.397
    • Wellcome Library, MS.397
  • Held at : Londres. Wellcome Library
  • Date of Origin :
    • Mid 15th Century
  • Composition :
    • 1 volume; 86 folios 4to. 24 x 16 cm. On vellum, 19th century rough calf binding. The margins have been cropped in re-binding, but enough remains of the original foliation to show that there were formerly 8 leaves preceding the present first leaf, which is numbered 9. The manuscript has been refoliated in pencil and the following leaves are wanting: after folio 14, one leaf; after folio 38, 2 leaves; after folio 42, 10 leaves; after folio 49, one leafolio Besides these a leaf, or leaves, are missing at the end. The lower margin of folio 14 has been cut away. Written in an Anglicana formata hand, by the same scribe throughout; 28 lines to a page. Additional notes and recipes are written by different scribes in much more cursive and fluid secretary hands. Initials, headings and paragraph marks in red. The last item is written in double column.

Former owner

Formerly part of

Notes

Data Source: Wellcome Collection - Online Collections

  • Contents

    1. ff. 1r-15r Lanfranc of Milan, Anatomia.

    f. 1r Her begynnythe the prologe of the Anothomy of Maystere langfranke of Meleyn. Surgure and ffesycian compylede and chapyterd in fygurs as ffolowithe [sic]. All thowe it be by hight to deturmyn Anothomy ... f. 1v (line 10 (red)) here begynythe the first chapitre of the Anothomy of the brayne and the hede and of membris beyng aboute hem or in hem ... f. 14v [Chapter 5 'Of the haunches'] Therfor it shewith openly how the cuttyng off the postumes ... f. 15r Her begynyth the mane[r] of wryghtyng of byllys of Reseytis (in a contemporary hand, followed by other receipts in later 15th century hands).

    2. ff. 16r-49v Lanfranc of Milan, Chirurgia parva.

    f. 16r Hire begynnyth the lese book compiled and made by maister lanffrank of Meleyne Surgure and phesiciane. Primo[.] if the wound be made withe a swerd. (red) Capitulum I. f. 18r A drynke for the feestere. (red) II. Capitulum 46. f. 19r (red) Here begynnythe the prologe of the las book of the sayd mayster langfran. Leve frende Bernard I yit will make A booke in which I will take by the grace of god ... f. 20r (red) If a wound be made withe a swerde ... f. 49v ... and if thou ett beteyn fastyng thou ne shalt doute venym ne palsye etc.

    3. f. 49v (2 Recipes in different cursive hands) Take sthyt vvorte hollen leyvese bernet and polver [sic for 'pulver'] them and drykne a sponfial at onse[.] amen / Take aldren leeues and whyt wilu leeues and popeler leeues and grynde hem in a morter and frie hem with freish grece and al hoot leie it to the sore for swellyng in. (Recipe in a different hand) fore any saut shulon [sic for 'schulen'] / powdre of sulfre and damp hem and mixte with ... and anoint with the balme.

    4. ff. 50r-53r Anonymous treatise on the signs of the body and bloodletting.

    f. 50r Of all the sygnes of the body within declaryng ... f. 53r (line 22) ... and the second mechill or littill om [sic for 'one'] as it is abofe saide.

    5. ff. 53r-66v Anonymous treatise on powders and pills.

    f. 53r Pillule to fore mete. Take Rubarbe, mastike ... f. 57v another poudre more comfortatiue / take canell ginger ... (underneath in a different hand) to feale the stranguri and to break the Bone ...

    f. 58r (In a different cursive hand) Electuarium dulce / It purgethe the flewme and the coleryk and it is good for hem ...

    f. 66v (line 15) ... and thus thou shalt do of all maner dry herbes. Deo gracias. (red) Here endethe a tretice of powders, pillules, letwares emplaystres ruptories and oynementes, the best that ever was imade. Explicit. (underneath in a cursive hand) this ys the makyng of the blak water ...

    6. f. 67r Receipt for 'Emmanuel' plaster.

    f. 67r Emanuel. A good emplaster that ys seyd Emanuell or the goodnes of god ... f. 67v ... of god and notte of mane.

    7. f. 67v Two recipes in two different hands.

    f. 67v Take aqua vyte treakell oolle off ... Take yow a good hand fulle sage a good hand fulle [sic] and ...

    8. ff. 68r-69v Queen Isabella's Dietary.

    f. 68r This was wryttynn fro Montpileris to the quene issabell of England atte the prayer of kyng of fraunce ... f. 69v ... after travayll to ett mylk of all maner besstis saue only of gett that is ryght holsome.

    On this dietary see W. L. Braekman, Studies on Alchemy, Diet, Medecine [sic] and Prognostication in Middle English (Brussels: UFSAL, 1986), pp. 43-82.

    9. ff. 69v-70r Miscellaneous recipes.

    f. 69v For all maner of sore Ere ... f. 70r Ffor all maner off aches ... pro [for] all hold [sic for 'old'] soer leggis ... an oynement that is cleped ...

    f. 70v Blank

    10. ff. 71r-86r Anonymous treatise on the qualities of herbs (from Matthaeus Platearius, Circa instans).

    f. 71r, col. 1 (red) Aloe ys hoote and drye in the secunde gree ... f. 86r (red) Zuccara. Sugur.

    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.

    11. f. 86v Recipe to make a balm, in a later fifteenth century hand (end wanting).

    f. 86v Thys ys for to make bawme artyficyall moost precyusly ... yt take resydens in salue in dayes ...

  • Phillipps MSS. 1381 and 4783, with his Library Stamp.
  • Purchased 1909.

Bibliography

  • Braekman, W. L. Studies on Alchemy, Diet, Medecine [sic] and Prognostication in Middle English (Brussels: UFSAL, 1986), p. 62

    Heimerl, Christian (ed.). The Middle English Version of William of Salicetós 'Anatomia': A Critical Edition. Based on Cambridge, Trinity College MS R. 14.41 with a Parallel Text of The Medieval Latin 'Anatomia'. Edited from Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek MS 1177. (Heidelberg: Uiversitatsverlag Winter, 2008), p. xxxiv

    Keiser, George R. and Hartung, Albert E. A Manual of the Writings in Middle English 1050-1500: 10 vol. 10 (New Haven: Connecticut Academy of Arts & Sciences, 1998), p. 3646.

    Keiser, George R. 'Vernacular Herbals: A Growth Industry in Late Medieval England ', Design and distribution of late medieval manuscripts in England, ed. Margaret Connolly and Linne R. Mooney (Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2008), p. 303.

    Meyer, Paul Georg and Neumann, Stella (eds). English and American Studies in German: A Supplement to Anglia. Summaries of Theses and Monographs (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2007), p. 74.

    Taavitsainen, Irma. 'Scientific language and standardisation 1375-1550', The Development of Standard English: Theories, Descriptions, Conflicts, ed. Laura Wright. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 139.

Data source