MS 23 F 19

IIIF Manifest

CollectionRoyal Irish Academy

LocationDublin, Ireland

ShelfmarkRIA MS 23 F 19; 473

LanguagesIrish; ga

Date created1400-1499

Pagination28 ff.

SubjectMedical Tract

ProvenanceThe name Jacobus Conor appears on f.103v.; The names of Domnall Ua Ceirín (of Ballyrohan, County Clare) and Padraig Ua Ceirnín also appear on f. 103v together with the dates 1710 and 1724.; The name of "Risderd Muirceartaig." is scribbled on fol. 24 v.; The name " John FitzGerald" is written on f. 100, r. 2, marg. Inf.; Former Academy manuscript number 14, 5 purchased by the Academy prior to 1844.

CoverageBallyrohan, County Clare

MaterialVellum

Ornamental reader's aidsRun-over Symbols--Extracolumnar--Abstract--Bracket (double outline): f. 89va;Run-over Symbols--Extracolumnar-- Abstract--Inverted Pyramid: f. 22rb

BindingsBound in green leather boards, leather back lettered gilt: " medica antiqua ling. Hib. Codex memb. 1352"

Dimensions11 3/10" × 8 3/10"

Online since2011

NotesScribe unknown. 5 blank white fly-leaves at beg., 8 at end, many leaves missing beginning and end, i.e.: ff. 1 to 17, and ff. (as numbered) 26 to 87, 91, 92, 107. Those which remain are numbered in figures of the early 17th cent. Capitals are rubricated throughout and some illuminated in green (more recent). There are large holes( present in the skin of the animal before death) at f. 98 and f. 106. At the foot of ff. 1-24 are Latin notes on medical matters scrawled in a hand of circ. 1700, mainly illegible. Scribbles in Irish, English, and Latin in marg. occur throughout. On f. 99 v. 1, left marg., among scribbles in Irish and English occurs, "Righ Saxan .i. Charles the Second," with date "Febra 1684"; but this is not in the hand of the scribe of the text. F.103 , v. 2. blank, except for scribbles. Name of "Micheal Casey" and prescriptions in Latin for pills at top. At foot, "leabar Domnal úa Ceirin arna sgriobad," followed by "Padruig ua Ceirin" in a more recent hand. In the middle "Jacobus Connor est verus possessor huius libri quem Deus amat et fabulas odit." Below, "Truagh leam a chumpain do truagh a modh"; also "Leabar Domnal ua Ceirin arna sgriobh a mBailrovan san mi may 7 san mbliaghain daois ar dtigharna Iosa Crisd mil seacht ccead 7 a deith 1710." Above it date "1724."A full description of the contents in English by O'Donovan (30 pp.) is bound up at the end of the volume. In this occurs the following note (cf. O'Curry Cat., p. 343): "I have transcribed 10 or 12 pages of this ms. . . . and explained all conTractions in a very copious manner. This transcript remained in the possession of the late Micheal Casey (see f. 103 v) till his death but what happened to it after I cant say." A further note by M. J. O'Reilly: "The curious and elaborate glossary above alluded to by O'Donovan fell into the hands of Fagan a bookseller and was sold by him for a trifle to Owen Conlan [ who copied the books of Ballymote and Lecan], who purchased it for Lord George Hill (1801-1879)[ landlord in Gweedore, County Donegal], who now possesses it. Sgd. M.OR. 1833."

RightsCopyright Royal Irish Academy; Copyright image source Irish Script on Screen, School of Celtic Studies, DIAS.

DescriptionRIA MS 23 F 19 is a Gaelic manuscript with some Latin from the 15th century. The scribe is unknown. The date, 1352, which appears on fo. 24 v., col. 1, must apply to the original compilation, as this manuscript is of later date. Written on vellum and containing treatises among other things on 'causon, hectic fever, dropsy, jaundice, etc, and of blood-letting', Galen (Anatomia, Pantegni, Ingenium Sanitatis, etc.) and Hippocrates are quoted as principal authorities.

ReferencesGreen (Monica): A handlist of Latin and vernacular manuscripts of the so-called Trotula texts. Part II: The vernacular and translations and Latin re-writings. In Scriptorium 51/1 (1997), pp. 80–104.G. Irish (MSS RIA 23 F 19 and TCD E 4. 1).

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Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in The Royal Irish Academy

473 23 F 19

Medical Treatises

15th cent. (f). Vellum. 11 3/10 × 8 3/10 Ff. 28, 5 blank white fly-leaves at beg., 8 at end, many leaves missing beginning and end, viz.: ff. 1 to 17, and ff. (as numbered) 26 to 87, 91, 92, 107. Those which remain are numbered in figures of early 17th cent. Caps. rubricated throughout and some illuminated in green (recent). A large hole in f. 98. Original Academy no. 14, 5. Bd. in green leather bds., leather back lettered gilt: "medica antiqua ling. hib. codex memb. 1352." The date, 1352, which appears on fo. 24 v., col. 1, must apply to the original compilation, as the ms. is of later date. Scribe unknown. On f. 99 v. 1, left marg., among scribbles Irish and English occurs, "Righ Saxan .i. Charles the Second," with date "Febra 1684"; but this is not in the hand of the scribe of the text. Former owner: Domnall O Ceirin of Ballyrohan, Co. Clare. (Cf. fo. 103v.) On fol. 24 v. is scribbled the name of "Risderd Muirceartaig." On f. 100, r. 2, marg. inf. the name " John FitzGerald" is written.

At foot of ff. 1-24 Latin notes on medical matters are scrawled in a hand of circ. 1700, mainly illegible. Scribbles in Irish, English, and Latin in marg. occur throughout. A full description of the contents in English by O'Donovan (30 pp.) is bound up at the end of the volume. In this occurs the following note (cf. O'Curry Cat., p. 343): "I have transcribed 10 or 12 pages of this ms. . . . and explained all contractions in a very copious manner. This transcript remained in the possession of the late Micheal Casey till his death but what happened to it after I cant say."

Note by M. J. O'Reilly: "The curious and elaborate glossary above alluded to by O'Donovan fell into the hands of Fagan a bookseller and was sold by him for a trifle to Owen Conlan, who purchased it for Lord George Hill who now possesses it. Sgd. M.OR. 1833."

f. 18 r. illegible.

f. 18 v. 1 to 24 v. 1 are occupied by a treatise, acephalous, beg. co. ngluaister an t-airtere da derbad sin cur do lam arin craidi ⁊ do mer ar in airtere ⁊ is a n-enfecht gluaisit. On the anatomy of the internal organs.

f. 19 , r. 1, l. 60. Labrum anois dona ballaib spiridalta.

f. 19 , r. 2, x. Labrum anois dona ballaib oileamnaca.

f. 20 , v. 2, l. 25. Labrum anois donc ballaib geinemnacha.

f. 22 , r. 1, l. 21. Labrum anois d'aithni na n-aicideadh.

f. 22 , r. 2. Of fevers.

f. 22 , v. 1. Of medicaments and diet.

f. 23 , v. 1, l. 37. Labrum anois dona ballaib tserbisis dona ballaibh oireagda mar atat na cuislenna ⁊ na fethi.

f. 24 , r. 1. Of causon, hectic fever, dropsy, jaundice, etc, and of blood-letting. The treatise ends (f. 24, v. 1): "Et is do reir na ceimeann so ata gach uile luib ⁊ crand ⁊ gúim ⁊ sil ⁊ cloch amail aderum annsan aindtidair do tairrngedh a hughdaras Auicenna noch do sgribad a n-uniuersite na fisigechta a Sliab Pisalain ⁊ arna corughad do reir uird aibidlech o tosach co deiredh. Et is edh do bo shlan don Thigerna an tan doronad an lebur so .i. mile bliadhan ⁊ tri ced bliadhan ⁊ da fhichit bliadhan ⁊ da bliadhain deg nís mo 7rl. tarrnic an lebur so an bliadhain do marbad Seaan óg mac Conaithne [⁊] a tigh mic Diarmada hi Meachair ([do scribadh] in later hand over line) Dia trocaireach co nderrna se trocaire oraind uile. finit amen." Under this is scribbled "Misi Risderd Muirchertaigh." Throughout the treatise Galen (Anatomia, Pantegni, Ingenium Sanitatis, etc.) and Hippocrates are quoted as principal authorities.

f. 24 , v. 1, l. 17. Beg. Do timairges annso riaglacha praittigechta, as in no. 472, p. 18; T.C.D. 1436, p. 113. Rules for treatment of wounds (f. 25, r. 1) of empyema and king's evil, etc. Ends (as in no. 472 )co minic.

f. 25 , v. 1, l. 30. Praitticecht annso arna trachtadh do Pantegni Galienuis ar sintib laime ⁊ ar dus do tarring iaraind no cnama no deilg a cneid.

f. 25 , v. 2. Of plasters, ointments, etc. Ends: curthar in methrad sin arna tinol fon inad a mbia in tinnus. Finit. Amen. Then in a later hand one line : Saland do losgadh ⁊ a pudar do cur arin creacht ⁊ icid an ainfeoil. Rest of page blank, except for scribbles.

Here a long hiatus in ms.

f. 88 , r. 1. Another hand. Treatise on gynæcology and obstetrics, beg. acephalous: idir na cichib ⁊ is urcoidech doib cuisle na lam. Ed. W. Wulff, Fraser and Grosjean's Irish Texts, fasc. 5. On 89, v. 2, l. 19, as a charm, the words " + sator + arepo + tenet + opera + rotas"; cf. 445, 77 z.

ff. 91, 92, missing.

f. 93 , r. 1. Obstetrics continued: charms against sterility.

ibid., l. 26. Urinary troubles, and various folk-cures.

f. 93 , r. 2, l. 26. "De dolore oculorum."

ibid., l. 40. Aphrodisiacs.

f. 94 , r. 1. Causes and remedies of sterility.

f. 95 , r 2, l. 29. "Do toirmesc na meisgi;"

ibid., l. 46. "De sgabies," etc.

f. 95 , v. 2, z. Ends: ⁊ is romaith 7rl. in Ros adeir so. finit. (This seems to refer to Rosa Anglica.)

ff. 96 , r. 1-103 v. A tract based apparently on a work by Johannes de Sancto Amando, as in T.C.D. 1435, pp. 221- 232. Same hand as ff. 18-25. Beg. acephalous: In tres leigis mar at a iara pigra.

f. 101 , r. 2, l. 40 (after discussion of suppositories and pessaries: do crichnaighimair annsin ani dar labrumair anuasanaigh co dilis do toil ⁊ do deoin De. Finit. Amen. The treatise, however, continues in the same hand, on opiates, etc.

f. 103 , r. 1, l. 40. Labrum anois dona plastraib. Ends (col. 2): ⁊ do gnathaighedais leagha Silermuntani so do denam cum na cnam mbristi ⁊ do sheimiugad na cnedh ⁊ do traethad an atta ⁊ is maith seimides bord na cnedh a haithle a beith slan. Space of some 7 lines, followed by charm for sore eyes, beg. Seile Muire seile De, ends ni fuil lium locht leighis roíc.

f. 103 , v. 2. blank, except for scribbles. Name of "Micheal Casey" : and prescriptions in Latin for pills at top. At foot, "leabar Domnal úa Ceirin arna sgriobad," followed by "Padruig ua Ceirin" in more recent hand. In middle "Jacobus Connor est verus possessor huius libri quem Deus amat et fabulas odit." Below, "Truagh leam a chumpain do truagh a modh"; also "Leabar Domnal ua Ceirin arna sgriobh a mBailrovan san mi may 7 san mbliaghain daois ar dtigharna Iosa Crisd mil seacht ccead 7 a deith 1710." Above it date "1724."

f. 104 , r. 1. A treatise with Latin headings, beg. Omnis enim doctrina est in quinque partita, aut secundum disolucionem aut composisionem. On divisions of nature, of medical science, and (col. 2) of surgery.

ibid. "De complexione uniuersali membrorum."

f. 104 , v. 2, l. 21. "De o[s]sibus."

f. 105 , v. 2, l. 33. "De nerus"

f. 106 , r. 1, l. 21. "De ligamentis et cordis"; (col. 2), "De carne"; "De pilis et ungibus."

f. 106 , v. 1. "De baln [e] is."

f. 107 is missing, "lately lost, as asserted by M^r Casey" (O'Donovan, Table of Contents).

f. 108 , r. 1. Treats of scalds and burns, and (l. 27) of grey hair.

f. 108 , v. 1, l. 30. "De uisus debilitate."

f. 109 , r. 1, l. 13. "De preparacione herbarum" .i. labrum annsa .3. rann don leabur so do mod ullmuigti na luibeadh. A brief materia medica.

f. 109 , v. 1, l. 25. "De simplici medicina." Classification of medicines by their "complexions."

f. 110 , r. 1. "De amore hereos." See W. Wulff's edition. In Ériu xi. 174. Cf. Lil. Med., p. 210. (Lugduni, 1559.) "De amore qui hereos dicitur," and Mackinnon, Cat. Gaelic mss., pp. 11, 48.

f. 110 , r. 2, l. 41. "De colucione continuitatis .i. dona cneadaib." Cf. Lil. Med. ut sup., p. 118; Mackinnon, op. cit., p. 48. The page ends, amail ataid tuitim nó bualadh (unfinished): the verso is illegible.