Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in Royal Irish Academy
466
C iv 2
Medical Treatises
16th cent. Vellum. Ff. 44, comprising four quires bound together as found, not in any consecutive order. Size: 5⅘ × 4⅕. Foliated in late hand. Bound in brown wooden boards, fastened together with three leather thongs. Ff, 1-8 rubricated and coloured green and blue. Dates occur: 1531 (f. 1 r.) 1572 (f. 8 r.), 1535 (f. 16 r.). Old ticket on cover marked "press L/38"/ in, 18th cent. writing; on lower corner a label "981."
The name of "Rd. Sheffield Grace" is cut on the inside of the wooden cover. Cf. fol. 11 v.
Several scribes: Niall O Cuinn (ff. 13 r., lower marg., 14r., 16r.); another signs as "in Tillech" (f. r. 6), i.e., one of the family of Mac Maol Tuile. Cf. f. 8v., lower marg., "Brian mac Maol Tuile" : this may be the "Brian bog" who signs on f. 14 r. Place: An Cargin. See also f. 13 r. i.
Ms. contains a calendar, a fragment of a medical treatise, a copy of a materia medica, and several poems. It has several curious features, and like nos. 461 and 467 savours somewhat of magic. In good state of preservation; some fols. faded at foot.
f. 1 r. Marg. top, "In Dei nomine amen." Beg. Mad ailt an folt do casad, etc., on curling the hair. L. 3, Absincum centonica ponticum : short notices on the properties of various herbs. Ends: salchur na cluas. The whole of this page is transcribed in 467, f. 30 r. At foot is a colophon: "in bliadhain d'aois an Tigerna [Isu] Críst M°. ccccc°. xx°. x°. 1°."
f. 1 v. This page is surrounded by an ornamental border and contains 5 poems, headed "Urlabra na spirat ann so." (1) "Spirat i Fhirgaile(?) cc." Mór nech do meallad le Maghnus Do locht cadhais ⁊ ceall, etc. (2) By Toirdealbhach Ballach, beg. An da cloich sa da naomh chrois, etc. (3) By Clemint O Firgaile, beg. Gidh be cluinfes an meit rann sa, etc. (4) By Donnchadh Cairbreach, beg. Ata Donnchadh ag cuirt na naingel, etc. (5) By Siprat (spirat?) Eigneachain, beg. Argain minic cild mic nEnain, ete. Last 6 lines much rubbed.
f. 2 - 8 r. A calendar, with rubrics, etc. At ft. of each page in red ink is some notice referring to the weather, chiefly with reference to thunder; e.g., 2 v., da di toirnech a mi lanuarius tic gaoth neamhurcoidech ina diaigh ⁊ bud tarbach na tortha in bliadhain ⁊ biaidh cointinn eter na puiblecaiph in bliaghuin sin, etc.
f. 8 r. "Detsimber, 10th Hac die obijt ( ) mac Maol Tuile anno domini 1572."
f. 8 v. Beg. "Ag so miniugad Daniel faidh." Cf. no. 467, fo. 31 r. On days of month, acc. to age of moon, etc Adam created on 1st, auspicious for him who takes ill thereon; on 2nd Eve created, lucky for going on ship, etc. Ends f. 11r., 1. 6, "Finit amen fínit misi in Tillech." Fo. 11 v., signature of "Rd. Sheffield Grace, 1810."
f. 11 r. 7. Treatise beg. Ianuarius apsdinens do denadh ann. Precepts for each month. Ends f. 12 r. i.
f. 12 r. i. Incipit don lunar. On the signs of the Zodiac. Cf. no. 467, p. 204. Ends fo. 13 v z., na ar talam ina teach Scorpio.
f. 12 , lower marg. "Fechain glesa pind o Fergal sunn . . . a bharc feisin."
f. 13 r. At ft. is written : " Oraid do Niall dar scribadh misi Mailin."
f. 14 r. Beg. Fechtus ro uui Nai na tabernácuil na cumsanad iar n-ol, etc. Ends 1. 15, ni romair nech dia sil side nachar baidh dile. Incident of Noah and his sons and the origin of monsters, etc. Cf. L.U. 20 a 33. At end is written, "Misi Niall do scrib sin."
ibid. Another anecdote: Do facaib saer na haircci inadh tarrnge fas innte, etc. See Eriu 5, 49. 1.27. Written large, "Brian bog do scrib sin" (referring to what follows?). The r est is much rubbed and hard to read, beg. Cebe nech geinter De Domnaigh bid hinillte e : T.C.D. 1336, 850, has a different treatment of the same topic. On characteristics of people according to what day of the week they are born on.
f. 14 v. Cebe gabus tinneas a ced la don mi. Prognosis of disease according to day of month on which it begins; largely illegible. Here the first quire ends.
f. 15 r. An isolated fragment beg. ccaid fein in t-iasc in fearr thaitnes ruind, etc. This seems to be a tale of the Marco Polo type.
1. 5. Et fos ata gen airithe d'enach inar talmain-ne ⁊ is annsa fairgi berid siat a n-uighe ⁊ ugh ar fichit beres in t-en dibh, etc. 3 1. fr. below, Et bidh a fhis agaib fos gurab ann ar talmain-ne ata in crannd asa ticc an ola coisercai, etc. Ends imperf. fo. 15 v., ⁊ cuirid in patriearcaí sin.
16 r. Fragment of a treatise, beg. "A n-aghaidh na redhma .i. gaireog."
16 r. y. Note by scribe at end of treatise: "Misi Niall hua Cuinn qui sgribsit ⁊ trosgadh lai pheile Padraig aniu ⁊ is annsa gCargin atu. Anno Domini. m°, ccccc.° xx°. x°. u°."
16 v. Virtues of fumitory (rubricated heading): "Do tsubaltaib fumus terre annso."
ibid. 1.12, seq. On the occasions for special psalms. This folio and to end of f. 22 are in O'Cuinn's hand.
17 r. On cures for diseases of eyes, etc, beg. Fuil coluim do cur te fona suilibh.
17 v. 9. "Do dolore deinnsium."
18 r. and v. Cures, continued.
19 r. Charms, beg. Can in bricht so a slait cuill ⁊ buail in ben bus ail let ⁊ carfaidh thu.
19 v. 10. Is iad so comardha na ndaine marb.
20 r. Chiromancy, beg. Da roibh line an croidhe go reidh fada. Then two Latin verses, with cryptic numbers added: Augurio desies audito, etc, followed by Aifrinn na sacart . . . Is misi Colum Cille, 3 qq.; cf. 467, f. 30.
20 v. "Do leighes in filuin annseo" .i. atait ceithre gneithi air, cf. B.M. Cat. i. 281. Ends f. 22 v. 2, ⁊ sruth gaineam arin filun.
23 r. Same matter and hand as f. 14 v., beg. Cebe g(abus) t(inneas) an xx.em la. Ends p. 17, ar an mog cedna. Finit. Amen. The last 7 lines of the page seem to contain prescriptions.
23 v. (hand of N. O'Cuinn). Various receipts, and signs of weather. Ends : madh truaill.
24 r. (in later hand, faded). Poem, beg. Gul mna sithe sunn re gaith, 7 qq. The last 9 11. of the page contain prescriptions.
24 v., illegible. Quire ends here.
25 r. The last two quires contain a materia medica, written in double columns, confused and incomplete. A comparison with the transcript in 467, ff. 37-54, shows that the original order of the leaves was 34-43, 33, 25-32, 44. The transcriber of 467 however, for reasons of his own, began at f. 37 r. 2 (Acanthus), copied to the end of f. 44, then turned back to the beginning on f. 34 (Acacia), and went on until he reached his starting point on f. 37.
44 v. At end a note by the scribe, copied in 467, f. 51 v.: "Na tabair guth orm a fhir legtha na .ui. nduilleoga so uair rob e mh'aidhme eter penn ⁊ dubh."