Royal MS 12 E V

MEDICAL TREATISES, in Latin, viz.:

1. The work called Platearius de Simplici Medicina, or Circa instans, a treatise on simple medicines alphabetically arranged, by [Matthaeus or Johannes] Platearius (see Renzi, Coll. Salern. i, p. 228, and cf. 12 B. III, art. 5). Printed with Serapionis Practica (Venice, 1497, Lyons, 1525, &c.). For another copy see Sloane MS.

420. Preface beg. 'Circa instans negocium in simplicibus'; text, 'Aloen calide (sic) est et siccum'. The text has probably been supplemented from other sources, containing many articles not given in the printed edition. Most of the simples have their English names inserted, in a 15th cent. hand, in the margin. Preceded by an index rerum (imperf at beg.). f. 1.

2. The brief treatise on physic printed by Renzi, op. cit. iv, p. 415, as Cophonis Ars medendi. He regards it as a compilation by a younger Cophon, 'a Cophonis ore', i.e. from the practice of an elder physician of the same name. The evidence, however, for Cophon as the compiler's name seems inconclusive. The preface of the present text, which has no title, reads 'a Iohanne de Platea et Cophonis ore'. In 12 E. VII, art.

4, and in Sloane MS. 420, f. 40, the compiler's name appears as Gerardus; in Add. MS. 28555, f. 31, as Stephanus. The chapter on opiates and verses on the antidotary in the present MS. are insertions. Beg. 'Dn (sic, for In) medendis corporibus et maxime purgandis'. A table of chapters precedes. f. 162.

3. 'Incipit flos dietarum': the antidotary (cf. 12 B. III, art. 6) sometimes assigned to Johannes de Sancto Paulo. Beg. 'Cor us hominis ex iiii. constat humoribus'. f. 192.

On the fly-leaves are several recipes in Latin and English, including one for aqua vitae (f. 206) and two against the plague (f. 208) in English. On f. 207 is one attributed to 'Horton. abbatem de Stanley'.

Vellum; ff. 208. 5³/₄ in. x 4¹/₄ in. Late XIV cent. Gatherings of 12, leaves (i⁷, last¹¹), with catchwords. Sec. fol. 'De aspalto'. Initials in red. Contains the name (as owner? 16th cent.?) of Robertus Thwing (f. 2). Probably one of the nos. 8534-8538 of CMA.