Catalogue of Gaelic Manuscripts in the National Library of Scotland
© Ronald Black, 2011
Adv. MS 72.1.17
(Gaelic MS XVII). MEDICAL
Mackinnon, p.50; Mackechnie, p.158.
15th–16th cent. Vellum. 3 ff. Folio. Two separate and apparently independent fragments bearing different portions of the same text, the commentary on the Aphorisms of Damascenus. Not numbered by Major MacLachlan, and not listed in Mackintosh’s catalogue. Numbered 13 by Hugh Kerr, whose name or initials appear on every leaf. Foliation modern.
f. 1 (Mackechnie’s “B”)
Single sheet, 30 × 22 cms. Written in two columns by an undistinguished and rather variable hand, small to average in size. f. 1v is badly stained and obscured by damp, the leaf having been folded in two with the back outwards.
f.
1 r.a1 On Isidore’s commentary on APHORISMS of Johannes Damascenus, Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.13, f. 1r.a1. Beg. (I)lla non debet nos commovere et c etera = Adv.MS.72.1.13, f. 2r.b35. Ends incomplete “mar ata reubarbarum ar meid as cosmail” = ibid., f. 3v.b24, in section beg. Medicina que temperamento visiva. Relates to printed text of Damascenus (ed. Venice 1514) f. 30v.a39-b18.
Ff. 2–3 (Mackechnie’s “A”, ff. 1-2)
A bifolium. 30 × 21.5 cms. Written in two columns by what appears to be a single hand, rather angular, quite small and neat. Rubricated in red. A later hand writes ?“Sean” at 2r. A farther hand corrects the text, and writes “a ba” at 3v. Faint traces of folding as f. 1, but no serious staining.
2 r.a1 On Isidore’s commentary on APHORISMS of Johannes Damascenus, Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.13, f. 1r.a1. Beg. acephalous maille re duintibh na n-ae = Adv.MS.72.1.22, f. 1v.b40. First complete section beg. Ballnium aut temperata pocio vini. f. 2v ends “don inchinn bis is moide” (=Adv.MS.72.1.22, f. 3r.a w, and Adv.MS.72.1.23, f. 3v.b23) in section beg. Si quis vult purgare. There is then a considerable lacuna due to missing leaves. f. 3r beg. a comartha cainnser is geimreadh aca ann sin; first complete section beg. Defisiente virtute prinsipalia membra defisiunt. Ends 3r.b33 “⁊ do gach ni ele oibrigheas do reir cumachtan. Finit. Amen”, i.e. end of section beg. Plurim concrepant et rasio testatur. Relates to printed text of Damascenus (ed. Venice 1514) as follows.
f. 2: Damascenus f. 31v.a z – 31v.b21.
f. 3: Damascenus f. 32v.b15 – 32v.b21.
The first portion is covered by Adv.MS.72.1.22 and in part by Adv.MS.72.1.23. No unusual authorities are cited.
3 r.b34 On elemental forms. Beg. Not let co tuctar na foirme duileta an da modaib. Ends “na foirme substaintecha aca 7rl-”. Cf. RIA MS. 24 B 3 (445), p.29; BL MS. Ar. 333, f. 10v; Ryan (ed.), Féil-Sgríbhinn Eóin mhic Néill, p.152.
3 r.b49 On natural motion. Beg. Duplex est virtus naturalis. Cf. Ryan, op. cit., p.152. f. 3v, no text.