The physicians of Myddvai : Meddygon Myddvai, or, The medical practice of the celebrated Rhiwallon and his sons, of Myddvai, in Caermarthenshire, physicians to Rhys Gryg, lord of Dynevor and Ystrad Towy, about the middle of the thirteenth century / from ancient mss. in the libraries of Jesus College, Oxford, Llanover, and Tonn ; with an English translation ; and the legend of the lady of Llyn y Van ; translated by John Pughe and edited by John Williams ab Ithel. Published for the Welsh Mss. Society.

Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physicians of Myddvai : Meddygon Myddvai, or, The medical practice of the celebrated Rhiwallon and his sons, of Myddvai, in Caermarthenshire, physicians to Rhys Gryg, lord of Dynevor and Ystrad Towy, about the middle of the thirteenth century / from ancient mss. in the libraries of Jesus College, Oxford, Llanover, and Tonn ; with an English translation ; and the legend of the lady of Llyn y Van ; translated by John Pughe and edited by John Williams ab Ithel. Published for the Welsh Mss. Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    PREFACE. Meddyginiaeth, or medicine, numbers as one of the nine rural arts, known and practised by the ancient Cymry before they became possessed of cities and a sovereignty; * that is, before the time of Prydain ab Aedd Mawr, which is generally dated about a thousand years anterior to the Christian era. In that remote period the priests and teachers of the people were the Gwyddoniaid, or men of knowledge, obviously so called from their being looked upon as tjie chief sources and channels of wisdom in the land. It is to these men that the art of healinfj is attri- buted, which they seem to have practised mainly, if not wholly, by means of herbs. Indeed Botanology, or a knowledge of the nature and properties of plants, is enumerated as one of the three sciences, which primarily engaged their attention—the other two being Theology and Astronomy, as appears from the following Triad:— The three pillars of knowledge, with which the Gwyddoniaid were acquainted, and which they bore in memory from the beginning : the first, a knowledge of Divine things, and of such matters as apper- tain to the worship of God, and the homage due to goodness; the second, a knowledge of the course of the stars, their names and kinds, and the order of times ; the third, a knowledge of tlie names and use of the herbs of the field, and of their application in practice, in medicine, and in religious worship. These were preserved in the memorials of vocal song, and in the memorials of times, before tliere were Bards of degree and chair.t * Myv. Arch. iii. p. TJI. | Llanover MS.