Padua Pseudo-Apuleius ms Ar.26: Rosemary
The so-called Pseudo-Apuleius collection was possibly the most popular medical text in medieval Europe. The text is thought to date to the IV Century CE. Ms Ar.26, Biblioteca dell’Orto Botanico di Padova, is a late copy produced at the end of the XV Century; the text is considerably abbreviated and some of the illustrations are scientifically accurate and unrelated with the simplified, schematic plants that appear in ancient copies.
f95v and 96r are about Rosemary. The image above compares the illustration with that in BL Harley 1585 (XII Century).
Transcription:
Rosmarinum |
Lxxx Nomen herbe Rosmarinum |
A grecis dictum[?] Libanitis |
Alii yeterites |
Punice zibbie |
Itali dicunt rosmarinum . |
Nasciture locis marinis ut ortis ante quam tu sciretur de hac |
herba homines [deos] plagabant. [placabant?] |
Prima et secunda Cura eius ad dentium dolorem |
Herba rosmarinum radix eius manducata dentium dolorem tollit : si nemora [sine mora] |
ut si succus eius inter dentes detinueris mox sanat. |
Tercia ad languidos |
Herba rosmarinum trita cum oleo languidum perungis mirabiliter sanat. |
Quarta ad interiorem dolorem |
Herbam rosmarinum viridem cum pulverem dabis ut supra mirifice sanat. |
Quinta ad alborem in occulis |
Herbae rosmarinum sucus conmisces cum melle attico et iungues albuginem |
mirifice abstergit. |
Sexta ad vulnera recentia |
Herba rosmarinum contusa cum axungia appositam vulnera optime curat. |
Septima ad tercianas |
Herbam rosmarinum contusa sub accessionem potui dabis liberabitur. |
Translation:
Rosemary |
80 — The name of the plant is Rosemary |
The Greeks call it Libanitis |
Others Yeterides |
the Phoenicians Zibbie |
The Italians call it Rosmarinum |
It grows near the sea and in gardens. Before this plant was known |
men prayed the gods [for it?]. |
Its first and second use is for toothache. |
Eating the root of rosemary removes toothache. Without delay, |
if you keep its juice between your teeth they are quickly healed. |
Third: for the weak |
If you grease the weak with rosemary chopped with oil, they are wonderfully healed. |
Fourth: for internal pain |
Give the green rosemary plant with powder as above said, it wonderfully heals. |
Fifth: for whiteness of the eyes |
Mix the juice of the rosemary plant with attic honey and grease the whitening; |
it wonderfully cleans it. |
Sixth: for recent wounds |
The rosemary plant crushed with animal fat and put on the wounds excellently heals them. |
Seventh: for tertiary [fever] |
Give the crushed rosemary plant to drink during an attack and [the patient] will be freed. |
