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MS 23 I 19

Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the Royal Irish Academy

754

Medical Treatise

Late 16th (?) cent. Paper, ff. 90, 6¼ × 4⅞. The original numbering (which is followed in this description) shows that the ms. once contained at least 111 leaves. In its present condition ff. 1-6, 15-22, 55, 62, 70-72, 77, and 90 are missing, their places being supplied by blank leaves. It is the work of one scribe; his name, date, and place of writing unknown. At the foot of f. 31 v . there is an entry partly cut away by binder: .... “and unto doctor John ffergus (of) this towne in the just and ...” This may be the Dr. Fergus who was a collector of Irish mss. in the eighteenth century; see Abbott-Gwynn, Catalogue of Irish mss., p. xii. The name of another Fergus, “Aodha mc Fergusa,” is written on f. 84 v°; according to a pencil note made by O’Curry it occurred again on f. 103 v°, but if so, it has been cut away in binding. O’Curry describes the volume as being "in loose leaves": it is now bound in brown leather, tooled, and lettered "Irish Medical MS." Former Academy no. 51/4.

Contents: a treatise on various diseases. Each section begins with a Latin sentence, quoted from "Ger." or more fully "Ger. de S.," meaning probably Geraldus de Solo’s commentary on Rhazes: cf. no. 474, pp. 1-176, and T.C.D. 1432, pp. 35-46 (Abbott-Gwynn, p. 307). Each disease is discussed under sub-headings, causa, signa, prognosticatio, curatio, dieta, etc. Besides Geraldus, Gilbertus and Bernardus de Gordon are frequently quoted.

Fol. 7 (the first surviving) begins in the middle of a section on diseases of the head: faisdine na n-eslainti nach tainig do denamh. The remaining principal heads are: f. 11 r . , Paralisis; f. 24 v . , Epilensia; f. 28 v . , Spasmus; f. 32 r . , Sgotomia; f. 36 r . , diseases of the ear; f. 39 v . , Sanguis de naribus; f. 41 v . , Sternutacio; f. 42 v . , Passiones lingue; f. 44 v . , diseases of the mouth; f. 45 v . , Uuula; f. 47 v . , Guta rossatia; f. 49 r . , Reuma; f. 51 v . , Causon; f. 55 r. , Eitic (hectic fever), acephalous; f. 59 r . , Ptissis; f. 62 r. , Pleurisis (acephalous); f. 66 r . , Perpneumonia; f. 67 r . , Tussis; f. 73 r . , Asthma (acephalous); f. 75 v . , Hematoica; f. 78 v . , Raucedo; f. 82 r . , Cardiaca passio; f. 85 r . , Mamilla; f. 88 r . , Indigestio; f. 93 r . , Sitis; f. 95 r . , Fastidium; f. 96 v . , Uomitus; f. 99 r . , Mala complexio epatis; f. 102 r . , Splen; f. 104 v . , Renes; f. 106 v . , Lapis (morbus officialis in umero (?)); f. 109 r . , Sterilitas; f. lllv . , Pleurisis.

Ends incomplete: da raibhe nescoid isin taob.