English Medical Compendium, 16th century

A compendium of medicine compiled for use by an unknown Elizabethan practitioner, containing an incomplete English translation of John of Arderne's treatise on fistula, medical recipes, notes on medical astrology, and lists and classifications of diseases and medicaments. With an illustrated guide to urine diagnosis. There are two distinct hands, a fine, cursive secretary hand, with headings in italic, for the treatise on fistula, and the uroscopy section (ff. 5r.-39v., 119r.-22r.), and a more stolid Tudor hand for the rest. Both are probably the work of the same scribe. The treatise on fistula corresponds to a considerable extent to the version printed in 1588, and the appropriate chapter numbers are indicated below. Comprises:

MS.7117/1: 'A note or knowledge of dyvers maladies or gryffes'. List of body parts and diseases or medical conditions associated with them, interspersed with a few illnesses, e.g. 'coghe', 'kanker', 'gowte', 'flixe'. (c.1575).

MS.7117/2: Medical recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/3: Blank (c.1575).

MS.7117/4: 'A treates of Fystula in Ano, wyth wyth [sic] the cure therto belonginge'. Comprising the following: f. 7r. 'Of Apostumes in the Lure causinge Fystulaes and of the cure of them'; f. 9v. 'Of the difference of a Fystulae and place that he is bredde in, and when it is curable and not' (chapter 2); f. 10r. 'Of the manner of Fystulaes, in the workinge of it, with the Cure of Fystula in Ano' (chapter 3);. f. 13v. 'Another manner of workyng in the same Fystula and with dyvers examples' (chapter 4); f. 17v. 'Of Bubo within the lure and the unpossibillitie of the cure of it' (chapter 5); f. 20v. 'Of the Cure of Fystula in the fingers and handes' (chapter 6); f. 22v. 'Of Fystulaes in the lower ioynturs of Fyngers, Legges, Knees, feete, and anckells, with coruptinge of bones, and the hardnes of the Cure' (chapter 7); f. 23r. 'Of impostumes in the boughte of the knee disposed for to Fystell' (chapter 9); f. 23v. 'The manner of a full harde cure in the swellinge of an arme' (chapter 10); f. 24r. 'The makynge of Lycyum, and the propertyes therof'; f. 24v. 'The makinge of Pulvere sive pavi' (chapter 19), followed by 'The makynge of Sanguis veneris and the workinge of it' (chapter 20); f. 25r. 'The makinge of Salus populi and the workinge of it' (chapter 21), followed by 'the makinge of wallwarte and ye propertyes of it' (chapter 23); f. 25v. 'The makinge of valance of Scabiouse, or Mattefelon' (chapter 24); f. 26r. 'The makinge of valence of wormwoode' (chapter 25). (c.1575).

MS.7117/5: 'A slepe drincke, pouder, or pillula' (c.1575).

MS.7117/6: 'The maner to make a man to awake' (c.1575).

MS.7117/7: 'Pylles, or Pouder Antioche' (c.1575).

MS.7117/8: 'To drawe out yron or scales of bones, thornes, or suche other' (c.1575).

MS.7117/9: 'Medecynes molyfyeinge hardnes in woundes after the healinge or suche other' (c.1575).

MS.7117/10: 'Unguentum de palma consolidatyne and sygilatyne' (c.1575).

MS.7117/11: 'Of Clysters and of manner of ministringe of them' (c.1575).

MS.7117/12: 'Of medicines. Cankeratynes and ulceratynes' (c.1575).

MS.7117/13: 'Of marmooles and Ulcers' (c.1575).

MS.7117/14: Various medical recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/15: 'Thys boke treatythe of dyvers sykneses wythe good approvyd modecynes for the same': medical receipes taken from an unidentified written authority (c.1575).

MS.7117/16: Notes on purging (c.1575).

MS.7117/17: 'Of fleebotomye or blud letting', followed by 'The quallyties of ye xii signes as they be devyded into triplicates' (c.1575).

MS.7117/18: Further recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/19: 'The iiii elementes', followed by notes on the seasons, their relationship to the four elements, on spirits etc. (c.1575).

MS.7117/20: Notes on the planets (c.1575).

MS.7117/21: Notes on the zodiac (c.1575).

MS.7117/22: 'Thys ys ye booke of Ipocrates. In Thys booke he teachythe to knowe ye planetes, Syknes, lyf and deathe, And ye tymes yrof' (c.1575).

MS.7117/23: 'Heare endythe the booke of Ipocrates of Iyff and deathe translatyd of astronomye [sic]. The best upon Avecena', followed by another table of star-signs and their corresponding elements etc. (c.1575).

MS.7117/24: Further recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/25: Blank (c.1575).

MS.7117/26: 'Heare followythe certayne phytable notes', alphabetical list of vegetable simples and their uses (c.1575).

MS.7117/27: Additional recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/28: 'There be eyght maners of medecynes mynystryd to ye partes of ye bodye wythe owte, for the whyche be callyd by ys maner. That ys to saye encatisme, synapisme, epithyme, cathaplasme, fomentacion, subfumigacion and sacellacion', explanation of the various ways medicaments can be administered externally (c.1575).

MS.7117/29: Blank (c.1575).

MS.7117/30: 'The names and maner of divers syknesses', aphabetical list of illnesses with brief description of symptoms (c.1575).

MS.7117/31: Further medical notes and recipes, including (f. 107v.) 'A comfortative Royalle Master Roger necton doctor' (c.1575).

MS.7117/32: Notes on astrology (c.1575).

MS.7117/33: 'Here begynythe a table of Master Wylliam, Whos fyrst piller ys of emogages [sic] and thys yt begynythe', lists of simples arranged in columns according to their several properties (c.1575).

MS.7117/34: Alphabetical list of diseases with brief descriptions (c.1575).

MS.7117/35: Blank (c.1575).

MS.7117/36: Practical uroscopy, showing urine flasks containing various specimens with appropriate prescriptions (c.1575).

MS.7117/37: Further recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/38: Additional listing of simples (incomplete and partly crossed out) (c.1575).

MS.7117/39: Blank (c.1575).

MS.7117/40: 'Aspectus lune cum cetoris [sic] planetis', table of propitious days according to planetary conjunctions (c.1575).

MS.7117/41: 'Master doctor hys contselle to all that are hys and a bryff lesson to all estates', epigrams relating to good conduct, partly in verse (c.1575).

MS.7117/42: Additional recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/43: 'The table of the booke', partial list of contents, with some (f. 134r.) arranged by planet (c.1575).

MS.7117/44: Further recipes (c.1575).

MS.7117/45: 'Here followythe xii sirupes yt are comon at ye apothicaries'. (c.1575).

MS.7117/46: Further medical recipes, interspersed with culinary and metallurgical ones, with (f. 138r.) 'The coppye of an aquyttance' (c.1575).

MS.7117/47: 'Prisse of divers druges', followed by various jottings including 'anno domini 1575 yr died yn london 4608 persons of the plage xicxvii persons crystenyd xixciiiix & viii' and in a different hand, '1599 John Weekes of West boren xxvi of marche' (c.1575).

c.1575

140 ff. (original foliation 1-4, 1-35, 42-72, 74-107, 109-118, 119-122, 125-136, 138-139 and unnumbered, wanting ff. 36-41, 73, 108, 123, 137) The text is written in dark brown ink, on ruled paper, with headings and underlinings in red. 1 vol., 280 × 220 mm. Of the several leaves which have been cut from the volume, one at least bore a pen and ink sketch of some sort, a fragment of which can be seen at original f. 40v. Contemporary limp vellum binding, with remains of ties.

Purchased at Bonham's sale, 23 May 1995, lot 204.

This manuscript is closely related to Trinity College Cambridge MS R.14.52, as discussed by Paivi Pahta, in Sex, Aging, & Death in a Medieval Medical Compendium: Trinity College Cambridge MS R.14.52, Its Texts, Language, and Scribe, edited by M. Teresa Tavormina, 2 vols. (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Tempe, Arizona, 2006), pp.40-46

Various marks of ownership: 'by me Steven Dallymond Draper' in a contemporary hand, on front paste-down, which also bears, apart from a few additional recipes, the following verse, 'The hand ys bad/The matter ys good/peele of the barke/And aprove the wode, Sir William Knyghtle. In mensis december [sic] anno domini 1576. Reade & then judge'; on front cover 'This Booke was given to me by Mr George Filding [?George Fylding, surgeon of Lubbenham, Leics. (fl.1603)] in November 1652, & to Mr Samuell Wallis by D. Burton in June 1658.'

Described in typescript supplements, by Christopher Hilton and Richard Aspin, to the Library's published finding aids.