De fructibus vescendis (On Edible Fruits)

De fructibus vescendis (On Edible Fruits)

This paper manuscript is possibly the presentation copy of a treatise on edible fruits dedicated to Ercole I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (1431–1505). It appears to have been personally transcribed by its author, Baptista Massa of Argenta, and includes a colophon bearing the date of 10 June 1471. Each chapter is devoted to a type of fruit and its effects on parts of the body, such as the complexion, stomach, kidneys, heart, and brain. The names of medical authorities cited in the text, such as Galen, Avicenna, and Isaac Israeli, are written in the margins in red ink, demonstrating the extent to which classical and Arabic sources remained dominant reference points in physiological studies at the time.

Scribe: Baptista Massa de Argenta

1471

Manuscript on paper, 80 fols.

College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 10a 189

Ferrara, Italy