Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in National Library of Ireland
G 453
MEDICAL
16th cent. Paper. 19.5 X 14.5 cms. 256 pp. foliated (by E. O'Reilly) 1-127 skipping one after 64. At least twenty five hands. No scribal signatures. Written for Tadhg Mac Caisín, as appears from several scribal entries (see below). Comparison with BL Eg. 159, ff. 12vm-21r, however, shows Mac Caisín himself to have supplied a number of marginal items in the present manuscript (no. x below); another hand in Eg. 159 (f. 2) also resembles one of the hands here (no. xi below). Manuscript has associations with medical family of Ó Conchubhair (see description of G 12 above) and main hand here, no. (i) below, is that of unnamed scribe of RIA 23 N 16 and part of RIA 23 N 29, who was son-in-law to Donnchadh Óg Ó Conchubhair (23 N 16, f. 56r).
Main hands: (i) ff. 58v-109v (excluding 87v), (ii) ff. 29r-43v9, perhaps 45r-49v8 and 51r, (iii) ff. 110r-119r4, 120ri-124v11, (iv) ff. 9r-17r14, (v) ff. 17v-22r. Other hands: (vi) ff. 1r-1v5, 2r-3v18, 4r1-18, some headings, occasional lines on 10v etc. (vii) ff. 4v1-16, 5r-5v7, perhaps 101r lower margin, (viii) ff. 5v8-8r9, (ix) f. 8510-8v, (x) Tadhg Mac Caisín (unsigned) lower margins (occasionally outer margins) ff. 9r-10r, 16r-v, 17v-30v, 32r-43r, 44v, 45v-46r, 47v-48r, 51r, 52r-53r, 58v, 67r-83v, 87v-91v, 100v, 103r-104v, (xi) ff. 22v-24v, (xii) ff. 25r-27r (except lines 4-7), 28r (except lines 6-13), (xiii) f. 27v, (xiv) f. 44r-v4, (xv) ff. 49v9-50r, (xvi) f. 50v, (xvii) ff. 51ri-55v, (xviii) ff. 56r-57rm, (xix) f. 57v, (xx) f. 87v, several chapter headings in margins, (xxi) ff. 119.5-120 rm, (xxii) ff. 124v12-127v. Hands who contributed a few lines or at most half a page: (xxiii) f. 1v6-end of page, (xxiv) f. 3v19-end of page, (xxv) f. 4r19-end of page, (xxvi) ff. 16v upper margin, 17r lower margin, (xxvii) f. 17r14-end of page, (xxviii) f. 28r7-13, (xxix) f. 28v some lines in middle, (xxx) f. 43v lower half, (xxxi) f. 44v three (?) minor hands, (xxxii) f. 57r lower half.
Names, jottings etc. in manuscript: f. 21r outer margin, recipe (?); f. 31r lower margin, chi-rho with Maltese cross; f. 41r outer margin, ‘ainm De tinsgar so [s]grib’; f. 47v ‘Wll. ( . . . )’; f. 58r outer margin, ‘Jho. by these present’; f. 61r outer margin, Phillipus Sannaghane is my name. 1st., lower margin (inverted) ‘Philipus Sannaghane est verus possessor huis libra que in Deus’; f. 64r outer margin ‘This is Mlaglin Sannaghane's booke and if it be lost I shall desire if when it may happen to astt. to redelin't [sic] it unto the possessor where you shall be sure to have sufficient satisfaction for your labour allowed, as I am a Christian to[o] and for me my onnest in judgement, all att persones but my service remembrd Datted the 8th May 1654 / Roger Qane’; f. 93v outer margin, ‘Be it knowen unto all men by these present that I John Butler of Cabbragh in said County of Tipperary gent. doe acknowledge and confes [blank] 1653’; f. 108v outer margin, ‘[ . . . ] nouig na deanamh ouild as do gne na leig oubhar sgan ann do chorp acht cre Loughlene’; f. 110r lower margin ‘pro promintuina ei eius rei varie modus’; f. 113v outer margin ‘Donate Connor his hand and God make him a good man I pray God in my bee giving God bee my spr [ . . . ]’; f. 114v outer margin Neall mack Vahy is my name. 1 st.
Bound in half-leather with Rossmore book-plate affixed inside front cover; relevant printed slip of O’Reilly sale-catalogue (signed ‘Rossmore’) affixed on first endpaper, ‘Rossmore Library Monaghan’ in ink; slip bearing ‘35’ (number in O’Reilly catalogue) on recto of third binder’s blank leaves and the following in pencil on verso: ‘Johannes de Whethampsted says no [margin cropped] found in the Roman Hist. nor any [ . . . ] made of Prute. Sir Jn. Price [. . .] & Dr. Powell answer that negation ab authoritate humani is [ . . . ] . . .’; margins badly frayed; piece cut out from f. 16 causing loss of text; ff. 62-64 cut in centre. Much of Ó Caisín’s work has been re-inked.
Fo.
1r ‘(In Dei nomeni . . . mius . . .).’ Compilation of medical and metaphysical definitions in Latin with Irish version following. Beg. (Qu)od male incipitur male finitur adon gach ni tinnsgantar go holc is go holc criochnaightear. Ends (f. 2r) is neithe fuara dleaghar. ‘Finis. aoís an Tighearna 1592.’ This and the following four compilations (ff. 2v-8r) are in similar order in NLScot MS LX (72.2.10) (pp. 181-209) a manuscript of same period and provenance.
2ri Definition of art. Beg. Ars est collectio multorum . . . isead is ealadha ann coimtinol. Ends tarbuidhe na beatha. ‘comhlinadh.’
2v ‘A nainm Dia Metegni Gaileni a[nn]so.’ Compilation of medical and metaphysical definitions. Beg. Qui cunque cognitor membrorum interiorum in esse . . . i. ge be lenab aill aithne na mball. Ends(f. 3v) no in leigheas lacach. ‘G[alenus].’ Scribal entry: ‘comlinadh’, f. 2v last line. Another hand gives authors etc. in margins and adds an aphorism of Hippocrates on f. 2v low. marg. beg. Ulnera excrecentia in corporibus. Ends ni bristear iad.
3v Compilation of metaphysical and medical definitions. Beg. Doctrina est proposite rei demonstratio omnes partes explicans .i. isead is foircidul ann gniom coitcinn. Ends (f. 4r) don maclach agus don lamhandan. ‘Gailenus’. Scribal entry: ‘[A]g sin duit a Taidhg Mic Caisin’, f. 3v, last line.
4r Compilation of medical definitions. Beg. Morbus est cum membra actionis sue naturalis . . . .i. isead is galur ann an tan tosgaid na boill. Ends (f.4v) ( . . . ) é cuige. ‘Finis.’ Avicenna cited as author for several. Another hand (same as second hand in item on f. 2v) adds a further definition on f.4r low. marg: Pus [ . . . ] curare se ipsum . . . bíos fo leanamnach dó, and another (now imperfect) on f.4v upper marg.
5r ‘In Dei nomeni Amen Tateus andso.’ Compilation of metaphysical and medical definitions. Beg. Medicina est scientia sanorum aegrorum et neutrorum .i. iseadh is leigheas ann fios na slán ⁊ na neaslan. Ends (f. 8r) ani taisbeunas é fein don ceadfad. Authorities cited in margins include Aristotle, Hippocrates, Isac, Constantinus, Galen, Avicenna, etc. Scribal entry of this portion of the text (ff. 5v.8-8r): ‘Ag so cobhair uaimsi do Thadhg Mac Caissin a (?) scribhneoreacda’, f. 7r. The following colophon at end of text is, however, by the scribe of the following item: ‘Finis anno Domini 1593, is mor do sgriobheochainn muna beith aixis epelencia orm do gnath ⁊ go ndenaidh Dia (?) grasa tre mian do bheith don gabhail ⁊ gan comas legta da haithne’.
8r On blood conditions which produce disorders in the body. ‘Do bretheamhnas na foladh.’ Beg. Ad iu[d]icandum cruorem de uena primosi est spisus male se habet circa pectus .i. ma ta in fhuil tiugh innti fein. Ends (f. 8v) an duine as a dtig do beith ( . . . ). ‘Do reir diurius’ (leg. De Urinus?) cited as authority (cf 23 K 42, p. 120). Followed by brief note on vein letting. Permitenti uirtute dum te cogitt . . . ma fuilginn in brig duit. Scribal entry: ‘Teasda tri thex aso nach fatuimsi lena leaghda ansa cairt’. Followed by table listing curative properties of some herbs and their required dosage.
9r Aphorisms of Hippocrates. ‘Incipiunt aphorismorum [sic] Hypocratis. Liber primus.’ Beg. Uita brevis, ars uero longa occasio autem praeceps . . . .i. o ta in ealaoidh co fada ⁊ in bheatha co gearr. ‘Liber secundus’ beg. (f. 14v) In quo morbo somnus laborem facit; Liber tertius (title omitted) beg. (f. 19v) Mutationes temporum potissimum pariunt morbos; ‘Liber tertius’ (recte quartus) beg. (f. 25r) Utero gerentes sunt medicandae; ‘Liber quartus’ (recte quintus) beg. (f. 31r) Conuulsio ex helleboro lethalis est; ‘Liber quinctus’ (recte sextus) beg. (f. 37r) In longis leuitatibus intestinorum; Liber septimus (title omitted) beg. (f. 40r) In morbis acutis frigus partium extremarum malum. Ends (f. 43v) Sudoris copia calidi . . . ⁊ sios a ccurp annfonn. ‘Finis er afrisaidh Ipocrates annso ⁊ as i aois an Tiagarna an tan do sgribadh an leaburso .i. 1592 ⁊ is edir Casc ⁊ Bealltuine do sgribad a mBaile Í Bhrodaigh é ni (?) leagh [sic] sin ach comhairle duit a Mhuruchadh I Chuileamhuin’. Other entries by scribes of this item: ‘Sin duit a Thaidhg ⁊ dom dhoith as maith cednach an adhbhair deidheanaigh (?) thanig om chairt’, f. 17r, last line; ‘comhlionadh’, f. 18r, last line; ‘comhlionadh lion lini’, f. 22v, last line; ‘comliona lini annso sios do droch litir ⁊ droch’, f. 24r, last line; ‘Sin duit na smuiti moithi breinth[a]’ (ogham consaine), f. 25r, last line; ‘comhlionadh linadh annso sios’, f. 25v, last line; ‘annsa mBali Beug damh go o amoin sin’ (ogham consaine), f. 26r last line; ‘mo mhile slan duit a Muruchadh Í Cuileamhuin och och’, f. 29r, last line; ‘ataim corradh’, f. 29v last line; ‘is tuirseach ataim tharr theis a Muruchadh am tranonadh’, f. 31r, last line; ‘ataim coradh am noin do sgribhneoiracht’, f. 32v, last line; ‘comlionadh linadh annso sios’, f. 38v, last line; ‘a Muruchadh Í Cuileamhuin is bronach ataim tar teis’, f. 41v, last line; ‘ataim corradh on droch litir gearr gairbh sin suas ni beag s[in]’, f. 42v, last line.
9r-10r lower margins. The following: Saturnus sa cead mi don toirrchis ann a bfuil fosdóghadh . . . Iubitur sa dara mi doní bogadh ⁊ dileagha . . . Mars sa .3. mi as ann cruithighear na boill . . . Iubitur sa .9. mi ⁊ ma tic annsin . . . tiagharnaighis ann annsna misa sin. 16r lower margin. Recipe: Dentar mellecratum mar so . . . 16v lower margin. Three definitions: uir sapiens dominabitur astris .i. doní in duine glic . . . Calor est causa ( . . . )ationis . . . .i. ise in teas is cuis . . .; third mostly illegible. ‘Is tuirseach ataim gan fearsa mo ( . . . ) eadh.’
17r lower margin. Medical definition: Cum morbi inchoant . . . dleaghar a dtinnscnamh na heslainte . . . is fearr do denam.
17v-43r lower margins (except f. 31), 26v, 43v outer margins. Metaphysical and medical aphorisms, propositions and definitions. Beg. Substantia cerebri neruorum et spinalis medullae eadem est .i. isin ( . . . ) substaint don inchinn ⁊ dona feithe. Ends (f. 43v, outer margin) go bhuil si do leighis. Authorities citied include Aristotle, Hippocrates (‘Aphrismorum’), Johannes Velcurio (‘de Arte’), but mainly several works of Galen (‘De usu partium’, ‘De semine’, ‘De simplici medicina’, ‘De alimentorum’ etc.).
43v Four definitions: Stupor est cum aeger nec sendit nec mouetur . . . .i. iseadh is stupor ann . . . . Cincia est lacte linior melle dulcior . . . .i. iseadh is eagna ann ní is tlaithi . . . . Gagarismus curat parilisim turturam . . . .i. leighisidh an gairgrisim in parilis . . . . Nullam medicina melior est in forti dolore . . . ni bfuil leigis is fearr a naigid an tinis ro mor ina folmutha mor na fola.
44r Astrological. Beg. Ag so mar tigearnaid na hairdreannaigh a nuairibh an lae aigintad amhail adeir Alba Masar a caibidil deadhanaigh an seachtmad Leabair na hAsdrolaoghachta. Ends o maidin co maidin la na nGreagach ⁊ rl.
44r11 Herbal. Beg. Coleccio medicine simplisi est hic. Is annso luaigas Iohannes mad tinoilti na leigis aenda amail atait blaitha ⁊ duille prema ⁊ silta ⁊ adeir Iohannes nach dleaghar na luibhe do buain no gu gcrichnighid a bhfás. Ends is a soitheach luaidhe dleagtar a coimeud et cetra.
44r25 The following: Mian na neithe neagsamhail do beith ar na mna torracha as e is adbar do . . . ⁊ is mar sin do gach linn eile ⁊rl.
44r27 On the growth and development of the embryo. Beg. An tan tuitas an sileadh isin maclach. Ends ⁊ tig o dorcadas cum soillsi ⁊ rl.
44r35 Symptoms of death following certain diseases. Beg. Adeir Bartolomeus nach teid neach deug diulun gan fia[bh]ras. Ends gan spasmas.
44v Physical signs of death. Beg. Is iad so doirsibh bais an chuirp. Ends no da ngearrtar iad.
44v5 Components of the body. Beg. Ocht mboill comchosmhail ata ann. Ends druim ⁊ lamhandan.
44v8 Conditions of human nature. Beg. As iad so cuingill na naduire daonda. Intelectus in fronte .i. an tuicsin annsa nincinn. Ends Dia annsa creideamh ⁊ rl.
44v15 Astrological. Beg. Sol mars aires leo. Ends Februarius apissis ⁊ rl.
44v21 Gynaecological. Beg. Is iad so na cuisi o milltear in gineamhain a mbroinn na mná. Ends amhail meadhoin fhir atchumhaill ⁊ rl.
44v31 Racial characteristics. Beg. Do nadúir na gcineadhach annso .i. formad a nÍdhlaibh ⁊ diumas a Romanacha. Ends inach a nEirannacha.
44v34 Two definitions. Medicus est qui nutrit sanat . . . .i. iseadh is liaigh ann an ti oilis . . . . Non suficit ueritas . . . .i. ni leor an firinne munadh ndearbtar on udur í. ‘Sin duit a Giolla fPadraig agus mo sgath re cois duit.’
45r LILIUM MEDICINAE. ‘Incipiunt diffinitiones Bernardi Gordoni.’ Beg. Febris est calor innaturalis mutatus inigneum .i. iseadh is fiabhras and teas minadurda arna claechlodh a dteinntigacht. Ends (f. 55v) no aigeidheadh no deamur aige. Secundum Gordonium. Definitions from five parts (fifth incomplete) of the work. ‘Is tuirseach ataim anaois’ (partly in cipher). Other entries by scribes of this item: ‘Beannacht leisin mbeac sin duit a Thaidhg’, f. 46r, last line; ‘A Dhia den grasa ar manum’, f. 47v, last line; ‘A Mhuruchadh is fada lium ata tu a Muini uaim’ (partly in ogham consaine), f. 53r, last line; ‘A Dhia den grasa ar manam’, f. 54v, last line; ‘is bronach ataim tar es Muruchach I Cuileamhain’, (in ogham consaine), f. 55r, last line.
45v-46r lower margins. Two metaphysical definitions: Exacta et potestate unum fit .i. donitear aen ní . . . . ‘de Amina’. Non potest formae alia forma . . . .i. ni feidir le foirm teacht a bhfoirm . . . . Avicenna cited.
47r lower margin. Medical definition: Paruus emetriteus in uenis phlegma . . . ⁊ linn ruadh leath amuigh.
47v-48r lower margins. Two metaphysical definitions from ‘de Anima’: Nutritio est alimenti . . . .i. isead is ailement ann . . . Anima est actus primus . . . .i. iseadh is anum and cead gniom . . . .
49v lower margin. Medical definition: Ulcus est solutio continuitatis . . . bios maille morgad agus re siledh.
51r lower margin. Medical definition: Morbum diuturnum et defectionem membram . . . .i. teid in galar righin ⁊ laige na mball a noidhreacht . . . .
52r-53r lower margin. Three medical definitions: Catartico dato pregnanti . . . .i. da ttugtar purgoid do mnaoi thorraighi . . . . Balnea non sunt necesaria nobis . . . .i. ni cuige ata egintus na bfothraigthi . . . . Corpora frigida et humida ossa . . . o slainti cum easlainti ⁊ o easlainti cum slainti.
55v upper margin. Medical definition: ( . . . ) est uentositas fumosa ex indigestione . . . iseadh is burdach ann gaothmharacht . . . Secundum Gordonium.
56r ‘Incipiunt REGIMEN RIG SAXAN anso.’ Beg. Anglorum regi scripsit scola tota Salerni .i. is iad sgol Salerni go huilidhi do scrioph na fearsadha so cum ri Saxan do coimeud a slainte. Ends (f. 67r) dlighidh gach uili (duine) in fion uasal do thabhairt reim gach ein ndigh eile. ‘Finis Anno Domini 1592 in .6. la do November. Sin duit a Thaidhg maille beannachtain.’ Other entries by scribes of this item: ‘Sin duit a Thaidhg Mic Caissín ⁊ mo sgath re cois duit’, f. 57r, last line; ‘dar an leabhar as ro[fa]da lium ataim gan dul as an mbailli so go deimhin’ (ogham consaine), f. 57v last line; ‘Sin a Taidhg maille beannachtain ⁊ re croidhe maith’, f. 60v, last line.
56v lower margin. Medical recipe (partly faded): Quare (s)entia uira rubentia . . . arna denam maille . . . ⁊ co hairighthi min eorna.
57v upper margin. Last words only (due to marginal cropping) of a definition.
58v lower margin. The following: Cases est sanus cum dat avara manus. i. ata an caisi slanteamhail arna ( . . . ) o laim tsanta.
67r ‘PRONOSTICA O YPOCRAID andso.’ Beg. Nihil perinde medico conducibile censeo . . . .i. ni thuigim go bfuil ni is fogantaighi don liaigh na a chur a gceill e fein do beith maille re glicus. ‘Incipit secundus liber Prognosticorum de aqua inter cutem.’ Beg. (f. 73r) Aqua inter cutem. ‘Incipit tertius liber pronosticorum de febribus.’ Beg. (f. 82r) Febres sive sanus. Ends (f. 88r) aitheantar iad ona gcomharthi inanna fein. ‘Finis.’ Entries by the scribe of this item: ‘go mad slan duit a Aodh croidhe’, f. 68r, last line; ‘sguirim co la agus ni den’, f. 84v, last line; ‘in ii la do mhi Ianuarius 1592’, f. 85v, last line; ‘a Uilliaim’ f. 87r, lower margin.
67r-87v lower margins. Mainly metaphysical definitions. Beg. Generum omnium substantia est . . . .i. as í an tsubstaint is uachtaraighe don uile cinel. Ends Elementum est corpus semplex . . . ⁊ gintear cuirp examla. Authorities cited include several works of Aristotle, Averroes, Galen, Jacobus Zabarella, Christopher Clunius, Johannes Velcurio.
88r Aegidius. DE URINIS. ‘Tionnsganum fearrsaidhi ar an fual .i. Egidius.’ Beg. Dicitur urina quoniam fit in renibus unana . . . .i. adearar urina risin bhfual. Ends (f. 101r) ⁊ ainnsein don tsubstaint ⁊ in .3. uair dona contenta. ‘Finis Anno Domini 1592 an 23 lá do Ianuarius.’ Followed (f. 101v) by table of colours of urine with explanation in Irish. Beg. Alba mur uisgi nglan. An abbreviated version of the text; for a fuller version (by the same scribe) see 23 N 16 ff. 74r-122r; see also G 455, p. 1. Marginal sub-titles supplied by another scribe. Scribal entry: ‘Sin duit a companaigh gidh be hé’, f. 90r, last line.
88r-91v 100v lower margins. Medical and metaphysical definitions. Beg. Liquor qui supernatat sanguini . . . .i. ni ni eile an fhlichaidhacht tshnamhas ar uachtar na fola. Ends Ni he an sedement fo deirg ata ag triall on ghile . . . Óir is iad araon is mo foillsighis and ( . . . ). Authorities citied include works of Gordon, Galen, Aristotle, Johannes Velcurio and Ptolemy. F. 96 upper margin has a definition in Irish only: .i. is chum an bhoill . . . vios flichaidecht na leanna.
101r lower margin. Two medical definitions: In fundo dicitur sediment . . . .i. adeirtar sediment risin ypostacis . . . . In coloribus urinarum semper . . . ⁊ is mur sin aithiontar gniomh na naduire. ‘annsa Maine Beac mo log an oidhche roimh Deardaoin aluinn. Sin duit a Thaidhg.’
101vi ‘In nomine Patris EGIDIUS DE PULSIBIUS annso.’ Beg. Cor uitis sedes . . . Tuig leat gurob amhlaidh do suidi in croidhe a lar microcosmuis. Ends (f. 106r) ⁊ on teas ardaightear in pulsa. ‘Finis.’ Marginal sub-titles supplied by another scribe.
103r-104v lower margins. Three definitions in Irish only: Is mar so aithintear aois in duine . . . . Is mar so aithintear fual in duine . . . . Is mar so aithintear in mac no ingean bias ag mnaoi . . . .
106r ‘IOANNIS DAMASCENI MEDICI CLARISSIMI APHORISMI incipiunt.’ Beg. Certe in medicina immensa profunditas est .i. bia deimen agad go bfuil doimhne mor isin eladhain leighis. Breaks off (f. 109v) with Medicorum illiteratorum simplicium . . . do bhaosradh na ndaoine og ataid a bformor ina ndunmarbtachuibh. Followed (lower margin, by another scribe) by a recipe now mostly illegible.
110r Guy de Chauliac. Anatomy. Beg. Secundum Galenum in libro xvii de utilitate particularum capitulo pene ultimo etca. .i. do reir Galen san 17 leabhar do tharbhacht na neithe ranaidhi. Breaks off (f. 127v) with section Epar est organum digestionis . . . arna negar uile do chuislinnaiph ⁊ o airteiriph mar adearum innar ndiaigh. Et. Cf. G8, p. 101.10. Scribal entry: ‘olc an peann’, f. 123r, last line. Another scribe wrote ‘A nainm Dé tionnsgantur linn gach ní. A Thriothnóid déan trócaire oruinn. Et nár léige tú manam air drochchaoidh’, f. 126v lower margin.