Herbals: 15th cent.

Herbal with 204 illustrations in colour of medicinal plants, etc., with short descriptions of their virtues in Italian, a few in verse. Written in a neat humanistic hand. On fol. 32v is an illustration of a patient in bed to whom a nurse is bringing a large bowl of 'polte de orzo' (barley-broth?); and on fol. 95 is an illustration of two women preparing 'formentini', one of whom appears to be rolling pastry, or possibly making a poultice. The text seems to be original, though clearly derived from standard mediaeval works on the virtues, qualities and uses of medicinal herbs. Signature of 'Federico Patella MS. no. 94' on the first leaf.

Late 15th century

1 volume 103 ff. folio. 38 x 24 cm. Modern vellum binding. Fol. 3 is damaged in the upper margin with loss of text, and fol. 83 is slightly defective: stained throughout, and some of the text greatly faded.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Purchased at the Hoepli Sale, Milan 3/5/1928, Lot 183.

Select images of this work were taken by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum: WT/D/1/20/1/44/46, WT/D/1/20/1/44/45, WT/D/1/20/1/44/44, WT/D/1/20/1/44/43

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

This material has been digitised and can be freely accessed online through Wellcome Collection catalogue.