Ars medicinae (Articella) and other medical texts in Latin and German; 13th century, first half, with additions

Title

Ars medicinae (Articella) and other medical texts in Latin and German; 13th century, first half, with additions

Shelfmark

MS. Lat. misc. e. 2

Place of origin

Germany (?)

Germany

Date

13th century, first half

additions, late 13th or first half 14th century

Language

Middle Low German

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment (HSOS/HFFH)

Physical extent

i (former pastedown) + 103 + i (former pastedown)

Hands

Gothic. The scribe usually wrote the first word of each section in full despite leaving a space for an enlarged red initial, thus most texts begin with a repeated first letter: Mmedicina, Eelementa, Mmembrum, Ooperaciones, etc.

Decoration

Fine historiated diagrams in German style, added c. 1300. (Pächt and Alexander i. 133, pl. X): (fol. 2v) Three diagrams, including one with the upper body of a woman and one with the head of a man (fol. 3r) Two diagrams, including one with ‘microcosmos’ in the centre, surrounded by four groups each which are in turn surrounded by the four qualities (humidus, calidus, etc.), and directions (occidens, septentrio, etc.). (fol. 21r) Two diagrams, one incorporating animal heads.

Non-representational diagrams on fols. 4v, 18r. The hand of the Latin captions of the diagrams is similar to the hand of the additions in German.

Initials in plain red.

Binding

Medieval (15th-century German?) binding. Sewn on three bands laced and pegged into horizontal channels in oak boards, covered with polished brown leather, each cover with holes from five circular bosses arranged in a quincunx pattern; vestiges of a single clasp; rebacked with the old spine leather laid on; the top of the spine with a paper label inscribed ‘6’ (cf. Provenance).

Acquisition

Former Bodleian shelfmarks: ‘(Cod. MS. Bernard 6.)’ (fol. 1r, cf. spine); ‘MSS. Bern. 23’ (fol. 1r), and with a valuation(?): ‘(23) 3s. 8d.’ (fol. 1v); cf. SC, i, p. 49.

Provenance

Headings are provided by at least three hands: the earliest 13th-century, in red, sometimes cropped; the next in a large bold 14th-century hand; another in 15th(?)-century Humanistic- influenced script. Marginalia, sometimes dense, by a variety of hands of the same centuries.

‘Sum Ioannis bartholomei et amicorum’, late 15th century or early 16th century (fol. 1v).

Inscribed ‘Const. 1:1.3’(?) (fol. 1v).

Edward Bernard (1638–1697), Savilian professor of Astronomy 1673–91 and main editor of the Catalogus librorum manuscriptorum Anglie, published in 1698, in which his own collection appears (vol. ii, pp. 226–28), but apparently not including the present MS.; his library was bequeathed to his wife, from whom the Bodleian purchased the manuscripts in 1698.

Title

Latin Medicinal pieces

Shelfmark

MS. Lat. misc. e. 2

Summary

Latin Medicinal pieces:

Fol. 2. 'Johannicius [i.e. Honein ben Ishaq] liber Isagogarum', in Parvam Artem Galeni, with diagrams

Fol. 8v. 'Anathomia': beg. 'Galienus in Tegni testatur.'

Fol. 13. Liber Urinarum Theophili Protospatharii

Fol. 20. The Aphorismi of Hippocrates

Fol. 27. The Prognostica of Hippocrates

Fol. 32. The Pulsus of Philaretus

Fol. 35. 'Tengni G. phylosofi', the Techne or Parva Ars of Galen

Fol. 56. Isaac de dietis universalibus, imperfect at end

Some Low German notes occur on fols. 19v, 53v, 54r.

Date

Written about 1220-1230

Language

Latin

Low German

Physical facet

On parchment

Physical extent

105 Leaves

Custodial history

'Sum Ioannis Bartholomei et amicorum' (15th century).