Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in King's Inns
MS 18
Medical.
15th cent. Vellum. Ff. 1-7, 30 × 21 cms; ff. 8-14, 31 × 22 cms; each of ff. 10 and 11 consists of three strips of vellum (each 8 × 16.5 cms approx.), unjoined except to spine; another strip (unnumbered), 3.5 × 11 cms, intercalated between ff. 13 and 14; ff. 15-30, 30.5 × 21 cms. Ff. 30 with modern pencilled foliation, with unnumbered fragment after f. 13. The volume consists of four separate fragments: (a) ff. 1-7, one gathering, with stub of conjunct of f. 1 remaining after f. 7; (b) ff. 8-14 (leaves missing after ff. 8 and 14); (c) ff. 15-20, one gathering; (d) ff. 21-30, one gathering. The scribes of fragments (a) (b) (c) are unidentified. Fragment (d) is the work of two scribes: (1) Ff. 21 a 1-30 a 37, Enri mac Sheaain (Nui)ssdeada (see f. 30 am), who wrote in 1466 'a tigh I Bolgaidi' and whose hand also occurs in NLI G 11, pp. 50 b 6-56 b etc. (unidentified in NLI Cat.i, 65); the place of writing was possibly Woodstock, outside Athy, Co. Kildare (cf.ibid.,66). The scribe's surname may be a Gaelicisation of Onchedon (later Winchedon); persons of this name are found in association with an Ó Bolgaidhe in Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny, in a document of 1464 (NLI, Ormond Deeds, no. 1787). (2) Ff. 30 a 38-bi and 23 r-30 r, lower margins.Dondchadh mac I Bolgaidhi, presumably in the same place. The other hands appearing in the manuscript are: (3) ff. 1-7; (4) ff. 8-14; (5) ff. 15-20 c; (6) 20 c i (though this may possibly be another style of hand 5); (7) f. 20 d.
Double columns except in strips noted above; fragment (a) 44-6 lines to column, (b) 50-57, (c) 51-62, (d) 52-62; ruling in brown where visible in fragments (a) (b) (d) and by dry point and in brown in fragment (c); marginal prickings in fragment (a). First lines of divisions of text coloured in green in fragment (a) and in vermilion in (c); some initials also in vermilion in fragment (c).
Bound in boards; watermark 'R Barnard 1810' in end-papers. Ff. 1, 8, 30, badly stained and partly illegible, showing evidence of prolonged exposure; f. 29 also partly illegible due to staining; staining throughout fragment (c) and in the outer edges of (b). Outer edges frayed in fragment (a); centre lower margins worn through in fragment (c) with loss of text; centre upper margins worn through in ff. 15-17 with loss of text, mainly on f. 17. Vellum naturally defective in a few places; tears in ff. 1, 16, 17, 29, 30; tear in f. 14 partially repaired with thread. Labelled '560' on spine and '18' on front cover and marked '2', and '30' on f. 1 r, upper margin; cf. MSS 16, 17.
Marginalia: (a) 3 v, trans. Quatrains: (i) Adhruim adhruim thusa a Dhe; (ii) Aol is olann is fuil; (iii) Tri fithitt bliadhan go mbladh; (iv) In ced rígh ro ghabh in bith. (b) 5 v, lower margin (inverted). 'Muikelraney his hand and make him a good scoler.' (c) 9 v, upper margin. Medical recipe: '(. . . ⁊ so . . . ⁊ luaith . . . tar . . . ⁊ im trit ar . . .) foilci fuinnsinne liathan caorthainn do cognamh ⁊ a chur trit ⁊ a chur ar in lo[. . .].' (d) 12 r, upper margin. Medical recipe: '[. . .] ⁊ in luaith do chur air Tuig [. . .]chion g[. . .].' (e) 12 v, lower margin 'fechain glesa ann so.' (f) Verso of intercalated slip between ff. 13 and 14. 'Fecain glesa pin ann so sis'; foll, in another hand by 'olc in fechain seo am dhiaigh fechain ghlesa pind a caladh oile [. . .] istag ⁊ noiscailad (?) cechdara acu.' (g) 17 r, lower margin (inverted). 'Do (. . . caor . . . finiu) fion. na (beith in oidhchi an . . .).' (h) 22 v, upper margin. '[. . .] uenibus fac(iens).' (i) 27 v, left margin (trans.). '[. . .] mian lionn na dian lionda os aithne dhamhsa tusa [. . .]' (?) (j) 29 v, upper margin. '(. . . math righ . . . Rai. . . uibh . . . os na ri) meas da raibh. na gach ri re da togha ag si le ga cora.'
Items (a) (c) (d) by the same hand; other writing on ff. 7 v, 23 r, 24 v.
f.
1 a 1. Commentary by Isidore on medical aphorisms of John of Damascus. Beg. [L]iberet te Deus filii amantisime a deuio erroris . . . (co saera) Dia tu a meic carthanaigh o ainbfis an tseachrain. Breaks off (f. 7 d 2) with Cum modo nulla de confitinter aquam ⁊ naturam ⁊ calorem naturalem ⁊c .i. asead adeir Damascenus annso. Remainder of column blank, except for some scribbling in blue ink.
8 a 1. Simple and compound medicines and their preparation for (1) dissolving humours, (2) purging members of the body, (3) heating and cooling members of the body after purging. Beg. Arnu nguidhi dona c[. . .] fearr ag[. . .] ⁊ comsuighi neoch gnathaighid [. . .] nguidhi sin. Breaks off (f. 8 d i) with Is iad so na leighis diuid teighius an breith A. buathallan.
9 a. A compilation of tracts and cures for various diseases, mainly derived from Bernard of Gordon's Lilium Medicinae. The following are the opening words of the sections (unnumbered in manuscript): (1) 9 a 1-4. Last four lines of section; no indication of content in lines remaining here. Endsgur feoil beirbthear a hoighin dleagar do caitheam ar tus. (2) 9 a 5. Oportet ut qui in calido temoire [leg. tempore] . . .labhrum anois isin .2. pairt so don lucht siubhail no saethair a naimseraibh teo no fuara. (3) 9 bi. Emigrania est dolor continens . . . i. isead is emegrania ann. (4) 9 ci. Sgotomia et uertigo et obtenebracio ⁊c. i. adeir Auerroeis gurob inann na tri neithe so. (5) 9 di. Litairgia est pacio pupis cerebri. . . .i. asead as litairgia ann .i. eslainte na hinchinne cuil. (6) 10 r 15.Apoplexia tres sunt sbesieis maior minor media ⁊ca .i. ataid tri gnethe ar apoplexia. (7) 10 ri. Pairilis est oblacio neruorum . . .i. asead as pairilis ann. (8) 10 vm. Epilencia est humeditas currens uentriculos . . . .i. isead is epelincia ann. (9) 11 r 5.Spasmus contragcio neruorum uoluntarum . . . .i. isead is spasmus ann comtarraing na feithe. (10) 11 ri. Triplex est nomen fluxus rematis capitis .i. ataid tri hernaile ar shileadan rema an tan tig on ceann. (11) 11 v 18.Obtolamia est cum alba oculorum . . . i. isead is obtalamia ann an tan teid gealan na sul. (12) 11 v 29.Ingcopis est egritudo in sumpno . . . i. isead iss ingcopis ann. (13) 11 v i. Albugo est exgrosior imaterie . . . i. ataid 6 hanmanna ar easbaidh an radhairc. (14) 12 a i. Causa doloris auris est duplex . . . .i. ata tinnius na cluas o .2. modaibh. (15) 12 b i. Duplex est causa fluxus sainginis narium ⁊ca .i. ataid .2. cuis ag flux fhola na srona. (16) 12 c m. Duplex est causa doloris densium ⁊ca .i. ataid .3. cuisi ag tinnius na fiacul. (17) 12 d 15.Uula est quedam linga . . . i. isead is uula ann red bhis a cosmailius teangadh. (18) 13 a 8.Sginaincia est apostema guturis ⁊ca .i. isead is sginaincia ann neascoid. (19) 13 b 9.Tuisis est uniuersaliter fit. . . .i. isead is cosachtach ann cumsgad brige innarbthaigh nadurda an sgamhain. (20) 13 bi. Asma est dificultus anelitus . . . i. isead is asma ann docomal na hanala (21) 13 ci. Pleuirisis est duplex quedam . . . i. ataid .2. ghne ar pluirisis. (22) 13 d m. Perplemonia est apostema . . . i. isead is perplemonia ann neascoid donitear isin sgamhan. (23) 14 a 9. Tisis est consumasio humiditatis corporis ⁊ca .i. isead is tisis ann cnai fliucha in chuirp. (24) 14 b m. Tremor coirdis est cardiaca . . . .i. is inann tremor coirdis ⁊ cardiac a pasio. (25) 14 c m. Colirica pasio est stomaco . . . i. isead is colirica pasio ann. (26) 14 d i. Dolor epatis potest . . . i. fedtar tinnius na nae do rad o .2. modaibh. Breaks off (f. 14 d i) with oiximul mar so .i. gabh premha fineil [. . .].
15 a 1. Commentary by Isidore on medical aphorisms of John of Damascus. Acephalous. Beg. hereteasaidhi ceangailti ris fein ⁊ da curtar leigheas mar sin isin stiringa [corresponding to f. 26 d 8 below; part of section beg. (f. 26 ci) Olafactus maxime si saliat fumus in caput]. Ends (f. 17 c m) gurob amlaid sin cricnaigtear canona Damasenus meic (Ser)ap[i]on maille coimint Isidorus Finitt. The scribe concludes each section with litera patet or its contracted form, 1. p.
17 c m. A medical tract derived from a work by Petrus Musandinus. Headed 'Quoniam in arte medicinali plura inueniuntur uocabula obscure significacionis .i. o tait moran dfoclaib dorcha dotuicsina annsan ealadain leighis nisa mo na annsna healadnaib ele is imcubaid lim an dorcadus ⁊ aneamtuicsin dfoillsiugad annso ⁊ o fetar so do denum co himcubaid maille tuaruscbail no maille heiddirdealugad tinnscnam o thuaruscbail in leighis do reir Maigistir Petrus Musandini. Et adeir ar tus'. Beg.Medicina est sciencia sanorum egrorum ⁊ neutrorum ⁊ca .i. isead adeir gurob eadh is leigheas ann .i. eagna na slainte. Ends (f. 20 ci) dona dainibh aga mbi coimplex fuar fliuch no o diet leannafinn no o linn finn fuar linas srebainn na hincinne. Fint. Amen sl(, . . sle . . .). [The fragment of this text in RIA B ii 1 is contained in pp. 23-4, 29-30, of that manuscript only; pp. 31-2, 25-6, of the manuscript do not form part of the text as stated in RIA Cat., 3265.]
20 c i. Note on the humours. Beg. Ge bidh gach linn dona leannaibh airida sé nuaire i cuirp duine la. Ends se nuair o teirt [. . .].
20 d 1. Metaphysical. Beg. Cincque sunt potencie anime ⁊cetera .i. asead adeir Aristotail in secundo de ainime gu fuilidh .5. cumhachta co geinearalta ag an anam. Breaks off (f. 20 d i) with maille coinghill adhbhardha neamhadhbhardha uero amail adeir.
21 a 1. Commentary by Isidore on medical aphorisms of John of Damascus (cf. f. 15 a 1 above). Acephalous. [Section beg.Oportet igitur a purgandum inter uenas plus arierias, NLI G 8, p. 7; cf. NLS xxiii, p. 1.] First complete section here beg. (f. 21 am) Ante purgacionem uero per aliquod dies . . . .i. isead adeir Isidorus annso na laeithi roim in purgoid. Ends (f. 30 a m) gurob annsin crichnaightear canonacha Damasenus maic Serapion. F:i:n:i:t: Foll. by: 'Isead do bo slan don Tighearna in tan do graiffned in leabhar so a tigh I Bolgaidi le hEnri mac Sheaain (Nui)ssdeada .i. mili bliadan ⁊ cethre .c. bliadhan ⁊ se bliadna ⁊ tri .xx. Occus Domhnach oidhchi Feil Finnen. Et is misi fein Dondchadh mac I Bolgaidhi. Finit'.
23 r- 26 r, lower margins. The seven grades of poets. Beg. Ollam .i. oll do fheidm .i. is feidm doni didiu a bunnsach. Ends seacda a dan aguss seacda a logh na graidh innsin oroid don fir no sgribh.
26 v- 28 r, lower margins. On the motions of the planets in the Zodiac. Beg. Bidh Saduirn i ngac comhartha re feadh .x. missa xx. Ends re feadh da la .x. ar .xx. ⁊ .uiii. nuaire.
28 v- 30 r, lower margins. As triamuin mu reannusa. 6 qq. Poem in Béarla na bhFileadh, with glosses. Ed. from this manuscript and TCD H.3.18 by J. Carney, Éigse 1 (1939) 85-9.
30 a i. (very faded). Beg. Sicut. . . . F. 30 b m: . . . mar bes andsan aidhchi ⁊ ordaigh na neithi gnaithigeadh do denam san aidhchi mar ata innladh na (cos) . . . .
30 v. Blank