Another possible VMS author...?

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

Even though I firmly believe that the VMS contains a guide to Caterina 
Sforza's herb-garden (the herbal section), a guide to her pharmacy area 
(pharma + maiolica barrel-stands) and an earlier copy of her "Gli 
Experimenti" (the starred section at the end), I thought I ought to point 
out an alternative author who seems to have been overlooked to date in the 
realms of Voynichology.

Isabella Cortese's "Secreti" appeared many times in print (mostly in 
Venice, but some in Germany) from about 1561 onwards - the British Library 
alone has three separate copies - and contains a roughly similar mix of 
alchemy and cosmetics as the "Gli Experimenti".

(Italian text)	http://www.levity.com/alchemy/isabella.html

However, whereas the "Experimenti" has an underlying empiric mindset, the 
"Secreti" is definitely metaphorical-alchemical. AIUI, the "Gli 
Experimenti" is spagyric and the "Secreti" alchemical.

For those who don't have access to the British Library (though there's a 
copy at the Beinecke as well!), there's apparently a 1995 Milan reprint of 
Isabella Cortese's "Secreti" - though I don't have any details on this ATM, 
sorry.

AFAIK next to nothing is known about Isabella Cortese herself: so it's 
quite possible that the VMS could (in some way) contain her own manuscript 
notes, that would later be published in book form.

One thing that interested me is that she uses the alchemical "3" (I don't 
know the correct term for this, it looks like a more ornate version of 3 - 
I'll stick with "3" for now) to denote "oncia".

So:	3ij	= oncia 2	= 2 ounces
	3ijs	= oncia 2 1/2	= 2.5 ounces
	3iij	= oncia 3	= 3 ounces
	3iijs	= oncia 3 1/2	= 3.5 ounces

Perhaps, then, EVA "dain" is stego for "3ij" (if you fit the "3" inside the 
"8"), and "dair" for "3ijs"? Just a thought. :-)

Does anyone know:-
(a) when (and where) this "3" symbol for the alchemical ounce came into use?
(b) what variations on it were used around 1480-1520?
(c) are there other alchemical symbols (ie, drachm?) that might be relevant?

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....