Rhazes (852-932)

"Cibaldone": an Italian verse translation of the third book of the 'Liber medicinalis Almansoris' on hygiene and diet. A version containing 738 lines, in three-line stanzas.

At the end, a receipt for the teeth and notes on the seasons for gathering herbs, in Latin: also two short poems on diet, and on female conduct, etc. in Italian. Written in double column of 37-38 lines to a column in a semi-gothic hand. Capitals in red and black. Loose at the back of the volume are three pages on which the verse on female conduct (see f.6v lines 1-14) has been copied out neatly five times in two or possibly three different hands, at a much later date (probably 19th century).

f.1, col.1 Cibaldonus.///Le oue chen de galina on de prinse Son piu generatiue e piu nutrisse/... f.5v, col.2, line 22 (End) Garofolo e caldo e seco soua natura/a stomaco e a fegato da forza/cerebro e memoria si riforza. finis. Below a receipt: Si vis semper habere pulcros dentes.

f.6 Notes in Latin on the proper seasons for collecting medicinal herbs.

f.6v, col.1 Verses in Italian on diet, beginning: 'Se tu doy stare sano observa questa norma'; col 2 On female conduct, verses beginning: 'Madona che dixidra esere famosa'.

c.1475

1 volume 6ff. 26.5 x 20 cm. Modern boards.

Purchased at Lucerne, 27/8/1934, Lot 63.

The order of the verses in this manuscript is very different from that of the printed version; which is partly in three-line and partly in six-line verse and contains 1011 lines in the first edition, Vicenza, 1480 [Hain-Cop. 13904, Osler 207, B.M. VII, 1034]. The water-mark on the first two leaves appears to be Briquet's No. 11846 assigned to Naples 1444 and Rome 1469. Inserted loose are transcripts of the poem on female conduct, one in duplicate, and one by a different early 19th century hand.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

This material has been digitised and can be freely accessed online through Wellcome Collection catalogue.

From the Martini Library.