Sloane MS 1047

An important witness to the amateur interest in and practice of pharmaceutical medicine by King Henry VIII (b. 1491, d. 1547). Contains a collection of more than 100 medical recipes that have been organised into six sections: plasters; spasmadraps (dipped plasters); ointments; balms; waters, lotions, and decoctions; and cataplasms (poultices). As a number of the recipes indicate, the collection was designed for Henry VIII. This is also suggested by the fact that many recipes provide treatments for easing pain and swelling and cooling inflammation in the legs, and healing leg ulcers, conditions from which Henry VIII suffered following jousting accidents in 1527 and 1536. Over 30 recipes are attributed to the king himself, including one that he apparently devised for Anne of Cleves (‘my ladye Anne of Cleve’), queen consort from 6 January to 9 July 1540. Many of the other recipes are attributed to his four royal physicians: William Butts (b. c. 1486, d. 1545) and John Chambre (b. 1470, d. 1549), who are famously depicted with the king on Hans Holbein the Younger’s painting Henry VIII and the Barber Surgeons, and Walter Cromer (d. c. 1547), and Augustin de Angustinius (n. d.), a Venetian who was also physician to Cardinal Wolsey. They apparently devised their medical treatments both separately from and collaboratively with one another.

The collection suggests that Henry VIII and his physicians predominantly relied on a medieval tradition of herbal, lapidary and chemical remedies. They evidently also subscribed to the medicinal properties of what they believed to be unicorn horn (alicorn). Various recipes, e.g. the Rochestre plastre, Emplastrum de cornubus, Swete Oyntement, Russett Oyntement, Gray plaster, and Unguentum de cornubus, require the use of powdered ‘cornu unicornu’ or ‘unicornis horne’. William Butts also had access to learned medical works since the Italian surgeon Giovanni da Vigo (b. 1450, d. 1525), who published his Practica Copiosa in Arte Chirurgia in 1514, and the Greek physician Galen (129–199) are cited as his sources.

The collection mentions the locations where a number of recipes were devised and put into practice. Henry VIII worked on treatments at Ampthill, Cawood, Fotheringhay, Greenwich, Hampton Court, St James, and Westminster; and the royal physicians worked on theirs at Farnham Castle, Greenwich, St James, the Manor of the More at Ricksmansworth, and Westminster. A number of anonymous recipes are located to still other places: Canterbury, Dover, Knolles, Petworth, and Rochester. These references suggest that Henry VIII and his physicians brought their apothecary equipment with them to the various royal palaces and other residencies they visited.

The collection’s medical treatments may have been designed over a long period of time: probably between 1536, when Henry VIII’s leg condition is thought to have significantly worsened, and 1545, when William Butts died. The fact that the collection is neatly organised into sections with their own tables of contents suggests that it was copied in a single and preplanned undertaking. The reference to Anne of Cleves provides a terminus post quem. This indicates that the manuscript was written between c. 1540 and c. 1545, perhaps for Henry VIII or one of his physicians.

Contents:

ff. 1r-2v: ‘The Table of plasters’; imperfect due to damage to f. 1.

ff. 3r-4r: ‘The kinges majesties own plastre’.

ff. 4r-5r: ‘A plaster devysed by the kinges majestie to heale ulcers without payne, made with perle and the wood of ligni Guaiaci' [Lignum vitae].

ff. 5r-5v: ‘A blacke plastre devised by the kinges hieghnes’.

ff. 5v-6v: ‘A plastre devised by the kinges hieghnes to resolve, and heale ulcers, and to slake the heate’.

ff. 6v-7r: ‘A plaster devised by the kinges maiestie to resolve, and cease payne and to mollifie being made without oyle with the fatte of capons fat and the marie of a calf’.

ff. 7r-7v: ‘A goode healing plaster devised by the kinges maiestie’.

ff. 7v-8v: ‘A plaster to restrayn humours devised by the kinges hieghnes’.

ff. 8v-9r: ‘A plastre devised by the kinges maiestie at G[r]enewich and made at Westminster to ta[ke] awaye inflammacions and cease pay[n]e, and heale excoriacions’.

ff. 9r-10r: ‘The kinges maiesties plaster made at Westminster to mitigate payne’.

ff. 10r-10v: ‘A plaster of the kinges to heale and drye made at St James’.

ff. 10v-11r: ‘A plastre devised by the kinges grace at Westminster, to cease the payne and swelling abowt the ancles’.

ff. 11r-12r: ‘A plastre that healeth devised by the kinges maiestie and made at Westminster’.

ff. 12r-12v: ‘The calice plaster’.

ff. 12v-13v: ‘Emplastrum flos unguentorum’.

ff. 13v-14r: ‘The blacke plaster of John de Vigo secundum D. Buttes’.

ff. 14r-15r: ‘Emplastrum de Calce secundum D. Buttes’.

ff. 15r-15v: ‘Emplastrum Galeni secundum D. Buttes’.

ff. 15v-16r: ‘Jacobbes plaster’.

ff. 16r-16v: ‘A goode dryeng plaster secundum D. Buttes’.

f. 16v: ‘A blacke plaster made with waxe’.

ff. 16v-17r: ‘A blacke plaster without waxe’.

ff. 17r-17v: ‘Rochestre plastre’.

ff. 17v-18r: ‘A redde plaster to heale olde ulcers’.

ff. 18v-19v: ‘A speciall goode healing plaster for ulcers in the legges’.

ff. 19v-20r: ‘Emplastrum triapharmacon’.

f. 20r: ‘Emplastrum de minio’.

f. 20v: ‘Emplastrum de cornubus’.

ff. 21r-21v: ‘Emplastrum restrictivum’.

ff. 22r-23r: ‘A healing plaster’.

ff. 23r-24r: ‘A plaster devised by Mr Cromer to cease payne, and to delay heate, and to comforte the membre’.

ff. 24r-25r: ‘A plaster of doctour Cromers to coole and drye, and comforte’.

ff. 25r-26v: ‘A plastre made by D. Chambre, D. Buttes, D. Angustinius and D. Cromer, to resolve humours and to cease payn and comforte the membre[s]’.

ff. 26v-27v: ‘An other plaster devised by Mr Chambre, D. Butters, D. Angustinius and D. Cromer the which doith both consolidate and comforte the membre, and temperateth heate, and healeth the ulcer’.

ff. 27v-29r: ‘A plastre devised by Mr Chambre and Doctour Buttes to be made in Somer, to cease payne, and mollifie the humours resolving the same with conforting of the membre’.

ff. 29r-29v: ‘The same plaster to be made in wynter no thing altering but these thinges folowing’.

f. 29v: ‘A white plaster for ulcers in the legges’.

f. 30r: ‘A plaster to cease payne and to resolve humours, and take awaye heate’ [Latin recipe].

f. 30v: ‘A plaster for my ladye Anne of Cleve to mollifie, and resolve, conforte and cease payne of colde and wyndie causses’ [Latin recipe].

f. 31r: ‘A plastre devised by Mr D. Buttes, and made at St James that healeth’.

f. 32r: ‘The Table of Spasmadraps or dipped plasters’.

ff. 33r-33v: ‘Spasmadraps or dipped plasters devised by D. Buttes’.

ff. 33v-34r: ‘A nother Spasmadrappe or dypped plaster for to heale ulcers and brusys in the legges devised by D. Buttes’.

ff. 34r-35r: ‘A Spasmadrappe to drye and heale ulcers called Mansfelde plaster devised at Foderingaye and made at Hampthill’.

ff. 35r-35v: ‘A blacke Spasmadrap to reyse fleshe and heale ulcers made at ffoderingaye’.

ff. 36r-39r: ‘Tabula unguentorum’ [‘The table of Oyntementes’].

f. 40r: ‘An Oyntement devised by the kinges maiestie at Cawoode to drye excoriations and comforte the membre called the swete Oyntement’.

f. 40v: ‘The kinges maiesties Oyntement to incarnate fleshe devised and made at Cawoode’.

ff. 41r-41v: ‘The kinges Oyntement to restrayne devised at ffoderingaye, and made at Hampthill’.

ff. 41v-42r: ‘The kinges maiestie oyntement to drye excoriations devised at ffoderingaye, and made at Hampthill’.

ff. 42r-42v: ‘The kinges graces Oyntement made at St James to coole, and drye, and conforte the membre’.

ff. 42v-43v: ‘An Oyntement devised by the kinges hieghnes to resolve made at Westminster’.

ff. 43v-44r: ‘A russett Oyntement devised by the kinges maiestie at Hamptoncourte to heale excoriacions’.

ff. 44r-45r: ‘An Oyntement devised by the kinges maiestie made at Westminster and devised at Grenewich to take awaye Inflammations, and to cease payne, and heale ulcers, called the gray plaster’.

ff. 45r-45v: ‘A grene oyntement devised by the kinges hieghnes to take awaye heate, and Indurations, and to resolve and ease payne’.

ff. 45v-46v: ‘An oyntement devised by the kinges maiestie at Grenewiche to coole, and lett inflammations, and to take awaye ytche’.

ff. 46v-47v: ‘The white oyntement of the kinges graces to coole, and conforte [the membre] made with decoction, and dyvers other thinges augmented by the kinges maiestie as foloweth’.

ff. 47v-48r: ‘An Oyntement devised by the kinges grace, to resolve, coole, and drie excoriations’.

ff. 48r-48v: ‘An Oyntement devised by the kinges maiestie to Incarnate’.

ff. 48v-49r: ‘The Kinges maiesties oyntement to restrayn’.

ff. 49v-50r: ‘An Oyntement for Inflammations’.

ff. 50r-50v: ‘Unguentum pomphilogos’.

ff. 50v-51v: ‘Unguentum populeon’.

f. 52r: ‘Unguentum infrigidans Saleni’.

ff. 52v-53r: ‘Unguentum Rosatum’.

ff. 53r-53v: ‘Unguentum triapharmacon’.

ff. 54r-54v: ‘Unguentum de cerusa’.

ff. 54v-55r: ‘Unguentum de cornubus’.

f. 55v: ‘A white Oyntement made with vineacre for the king’.

ff. 56r-56v: ‘A white Oyntement of the kinges made with the decoction’.

f. 56v: ‘Certayn Oyntementes taken owt of Salven – A Cicatrising Oyntement’.

f. 57r: ‘A nother lyke Oyntement’.

ff. 57r-57v: ‘An other Oyntement’.

ff. 57v-58r: ‘An other lyke Oyntement’.

ff. 58r-58v: ‘A nother’.

f. 58v: ‘Another Oyntement’.

ff. 59r-59v: ‘An Oyntement against heates’.

ff. 59v-60r: ‘An Oyntement to heale ulcers corrosive’.

ff. 60r-60v: ‘A nother lyke Oyntement’.

ff. 60v-61r: ‘An Oyntement desiccative’.

f. 61r: ‘An oother [sic]’.

f. 61v: ‘Unguentum cum pice liquida’.

ff. 62r-62v: ‘An Oyntement against ytche’.

ff. 62v-63r: ‘A drying Oyntement’.

ff. 63r-63v: ‘An Oyntement to consolide ulcers and make goode digestion’.

ff. 64r-64v: ‘An Oyntement devised by D. Chambre, D. Buttes, D. Cromer, and D. Angustinius against the evill complexion of hoote cawses of ulcers in the legges, and partes that be soore’.

ff. 64v-65r: ‘An Oyntement devised [made] by the same men and made at ffarneham Castell’.

ff. 65r-65v: ‘An Oyntement made at petwourthe’.

ff. 65v-66r: ‘An Oyntement made at Dover’.

ff. 66r-66v: ‘An Oyntement made at Cantorburye’.

ff. 66v-67r: ‘An Oyntement made at Knolles’.

ff. 67r-67v: ‘An Oyntement made at Moore devised by Mr Buttes, and Doctour Chambre’.

ff. 67v-68r: ‘An Oyntement devised by the same men made at Westminster’.

ff. 68r-68v: ‘An Oyntement to cease payne, and to resolve humours and to take awaye heate’ [Latin recipe].

ff. 68v-69r: [‘Thre Recipe Oyntementes to dilaye heates’] ‘Thre unguentes to delaye heates’ [Latin recipes].

ff. 69v-70r: ‘An Oyntement devised by Mr Buttes and Mr Chambre, to Incarnate and drye upp ulcers corrosyve, ceasing thair evyll complexion’.

f. 71r: ‘The Table of Balmes’.

ff. 72r-73v: ‘A balme to heale woundes’.

ff. 73v-77v: ‘Aqua mirabilis [or] vel water Balsanni’ [Latin recipe].

ff. 78r-78v: ‘A balme for woundes’.

ff. 78v-79r: ‘A balme for palseys and aches’.

ff. 79r-80v: ‘An other Balme for woundes’.

ff. 81r-81v: ‘The Table of waters, lotions, and decoctions’.

ff. 82r-82v: ‘A decoction devised byt the kinges maiestie’.

ff. 82v-83r: ‘A decoction to washe a membre that is sore, and to comforte it devised by the kinges hieghnes’.

ff. 83r-83v: ‘A water made and devised by the kinges maiestie’.

f. 84r: ‘A decoction devised by the kinges maiestie to restraigne humours’.

ff. 84r-84v: ‘A Lotion devised by Mr Cromer’.

f. 84v: ‘Certayn lotions devised by Mr Chambre and Mr Buttes’.

ff. 84v-85r: ‘An other’.

ff. 85r-85v: ‘An oother [sic]’.

ff. 85v-86r: ‘A Lotion to drie upp all waterish humours in the legges’.

ff. 86r-86v: ‘A nother Lotion’.

ff. 86v-87r: ‘A water restrictyve to restraigne humours falling down to the legges’.

ff. 87r-87v: ‘A nother for the same cawse’.

f. 88r: ‘The Table of Cataplasmes or pulthes’.

f. 89r: ‘A cataplasme made ungtment [sic: ‘unguent’] lyke of the kinges maiesties devise made at westminster’.

ff. 89v-90r: ‘A pulthes devised by the kinges maiestie at Hampton courte’.

ff. 90r-90v: ‘A pulthes devised by the kinges hieghnes at St James’.

ff. 91r-91v: ‘A pulthes to cease payne devised by doctour Buttes’.

ff. 91v-92r: ‘A nother more confortable pulthes devised by Mr Buttes’.

ff. 92r-92v: ‘A nother pulthes’.

ff. 93r-93v: ‘A nother’.

ff. 93v-94v: ‘An other pulthes devised by Mr Chambre, D. Buttes, D. Cromer, and D. Angustinius’.