Re: VMS -- Botany (f25r) Mint

["Dana F. Scott" <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nick,

   Thank you very much. I will take a close look at all these links. Gerry Kennedy had
a program on the BBC on Oct. 4 to discuss the VMS. He is now interested in writing a
book and has asked for input on the Herbal section of the VMS. I offered to help as
much as I can.

Regards,
Dana Scott

Nick Pelling wrote:

> Hi Dana,
>
> Just a couple of botany-related thoughts for you:
>
> (1) The BBC (in association with the Open University, the UK's foremost
> distance-learning institute) commissioned a number of programs covering
> different sides of the Renaissance: and have put full transcripts (and a
> certain amount of links and supporting material) up on the Internet.
>
> Series 1 homepage is:-  http://www.open2.net/renaissance/
> Series 2 homepage is:-  http://www.open2.net/renaissance2/
>
> The episode I guess you'd be most interested in is called "Secret Of The
> Winter Garden": it's about a series of 1800 beautiful (and meticulous)
> watercolour botanical images, found in Krakow, thought to have been painted
> in the 16th Century:-
>          http://www.open2.net/renaissance/prog3/fmtv2.htm
>
> These seem like an excellent source of visual comparison: also, the names
> of each plant are carefully recorded in several languages beside them,
> which might help us with cribs here. :-)
>
> BTW: in the second series, there was a wonderful program (aired last night
> here in the UK) called "The Italian Patient", which discussed hospitals in
> 15th Century Italy (specifically Florence). No transcript for this
> (shame!), but a good-sized summary (and supporting links) is to be found at:-
>          http://www.open2.net/renaissance2/doing/italian.html
>
> There were as many as 30-40 major pharmacists in Florence then, and they
> were extremely wealthy: they were in the guild "Arte dei Medici e
> Speziale", which also included doctors, painters and spice dealers. Hmmm...
> the VMS as written by an exotic spice dealer...? :-/
>
> (2) Have you seen "Brother Cadfael's herb garden :an illustrated companion
> to Medieval plants and their uses", by Robin Whiteman? Here's a link:-
>          http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?show=Hardcover:New:0821223879:29.95
>
> Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....