J. Antall szerk.: Medical history in Hungary 1972. Presented to the XXIII. International Congress of the History of Medicine / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 6. (Budapest, 1972)

Z. Kádár: Some Notes on the Common Archetypes of Pharmaco-Zoological Illustrations in the MSS. Cotton Vitellius C., III. and the Greek Theriaca

SOME NOTES ON THE COMMON ARCHETYPES OF PHARMACO-ZOOLOG CAL ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE MSS, COTTON VITELLIUS C., IIL AND THE GREEK THERIACA by ZOLTÁN KÁDÁR ^phe lost classical pharmacological manuscripts and their illustrations can be reconstructed in the first place on the basis of medieval Greek and Latin Dioscorides translations. Latin pharmacopoeia in late antiquity on the other hand is preserved mainly in the copies of the work "De ĥerbarųm virtutibus" by the so-called Pseudo-Apuleius that has come down to us in various medieval codices. The above-mentioned work does not exist only in Latin manuscripts, but an Anglo-saxon translation from the 1.1th century has come down to us, too. It is now in the Library of the British Museum in London known as MSS. Cotton Vitellius C., III. The significance of this important manuscript among the classical pharmacological works has been first pointed out by Charles Singer, who summed up the results of his researches a follows: (p. 86).

1 A more detailed analysis of the referring bibliography

2 would lead us too far, let it be sufficient to quote David Diringer's summerizing work published recently where the author stresses the compilatory character of the so-called Pseudo-Apuleian work, and points out that it is a "compilation from Dioscorides and other sources".

3 As the text is adhering closely to various old sources, it seems obvious that it is true for the illustrations which accompany the text. A conspicuous feature of the illustrations of the MSS. Cott. Vitellius C., III. in London is that the miniatures representing various plants are often accompanied by pictures of snakes and scorpions. Consequently, the illustrations aim at presenting the herbal antitoxins used against animal venom. In the classical 1 Singer, Ch: The Herbal in Antiquity and its transmission to later Ages. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, XLVII (1927) p. 38 cf. pp. 39, 47, 51-52. 2 The publication of the Cott. Vitellius C., Ill codex of London: Cockayne, O.: Leechdoms, Wortcunnig and Starcraft of Early England I. In "Rolls Series" XXXV; for the herbals of Pseudo-Apuleius see: Howald, E. Siegrist, H. E.: Pseudoapulei Herbarius, Leipzig, 1927; G¾siorowski, S. J.: Malarstwo minjaturowe grecko-rzymski, Cracow 1928, pp. 68 — 72; for the relations between the herbals of Pseudo-Apuleius and the codex of London see: Gunther, R. T.: The Herbal of Apuleius Barbarus, Oxford 1925. p. XXXIII etc. cf. C. H. Talbot F

. Unterkircher: (commentary) Medicina Antiqua, Codex Vindobonensis 93, Codices Selecti; vol. XXVII. Graz, 1972. 3 Diringer, D.: The Illuminated Book, its history and production London 1955, pp. 48-49.