Re: herbal tinctures

[Dana Scott <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

OK. I'll work on identifying the sprigs.

http://www.reseauproteus.net/1001solutions/lex1.0cle_f.htm

Regards,
Dana Scott

GC wrote:

> Dana,
>
> I wonder if I might impose on you and ask you to
> direct a small amount of your diligence to a
> project, based on this assumption:
>
> I begin my assumption with the idea that this
> herbal is based on knowledge contained in Macer's
> Herbal.  There are various reasons I make this
> assumption, but it's a good middle ground either
> way.
>
> Starting with 88r we have a section of apothecary
> jars, but much more information here in my
> opinion.
>
> Starting with page 89r
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 4 jars    4 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs (odd
> man out)
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 2 jars    2 rows of plants    2 Paragraphs
> 2 jars    2 rows of plants    2 Paragraphs
>
> Starting with 95r
> 4 jars    4 rows of plants    4 Paragraphs
> 4 jars    4 rows of plants    4 Paragraphs
> 2 jars    2 rows of plants    2 Paragraphs
> 1 jar     1 set of plants     1 Paragraph
> 2 jars    2 sets of plants    2 Paragraphs
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 3 jars    3 rows of plants    3 Paragraphs
> 2 jars    2 rows of plants    2 Paragraphs
> 2 jars    2 rows of plants    2 Paragraphs
>
> This to me is the closest thing to a pattern I've
> yet discovered in the Voynich.  If I assume that
> the jar indicates a mixture of herbs, it follows
> that the rows of plants are the herbs that make up
> that particular mixture.  The Paragraph then is
> either the method of mixing and/or the Virtues of
> the mixture.  Either way, we have some knowledge
> of the probable subject matter of the paragraph
> and can compare that paragraph what has been
> written about it in Macer or equivalents.
>
> I am currently drawing up a list of known
> compounds up to about 1560 and cross-referencing
> the herbs used in these compounds.
>
> What I would ask from you is to focus somewhat on
> the herbs pictured in this section.  If we can
> identify one herb, we limit the search.  Two herbs
> limit it further, and so on.  The more herbs
> identified, the shorter the list of possibles,
> which might aid in identification of the rest of
> the herbs in that section.
>
> I wish to couple this to a list of ancient herb
> names, and try to match up the names with the
> herbs.  I am gleaning a list of common names (from
> 1490 to 1560) in Latin, English, Dutch, French,
> German and Greek.  (I expect a heavy leaning on
> the Latin names.)  I don't have sources for
> Italian or Spanish at this point, and the French
> sources are not the best.
>
> I'm placing heavy emphasis on Macer and other
> books based on Macer up to 1525, as I think this
> pretty much the time period we're looking at, and
> the names of plants from this period will most
> probably be used.
>
> GC