[Initial reflections on the organization of knowledge in Kodex Ms. 8769 of the Biblioteca nacional in Madrid with an edition of the compendium about 'critical days', as well as comments on the structural organization of Melleus liquor physicae artis Magistri Alexandri Yspani].
A medical compendium of 'Melleus liquor physicae artis' has survived under the name Alexander Hispanus, possibly a medical scholar of the 13th or early 14th century, in codex Ms 8769 of the Biblioteca nacional in Madrid. But we don't know verifiable facts about Alexander Hispanus. There are more indications, that Alexander was a fictitious person and he never lived. The compendium tells about the maintaining of health as a matter of concern with strong temporal regulations. Therefore a bavarian tract about critical days was enclosed afterwards. This is very interesting, because the tract is dated to 1350 and it's written by a younger hand. Compared with that other parts of the handwriting are dated roughly to the 14th century and are written by an older hand. This tract was now edited (look to the appendix). At the same time a structural analysis of the organisation of knowledge clarified, that the Melleus liquor must be sawn as a well thought-out text altogether. The parts are connected within of three levels of structure: human, medicine, deseases and their recognition. But time is of overriding importance and it's superordinated to these factors of structure. All in all the handwriting monument is certainly written in the 14th century, but it documents medical doctrines of an older age. The late medieval writer probably used much older scripts, that don't exsist any longer. But so they were copied and came down to us fortunately.
Mauch
Ute
U
utemauch@t-online.de
D005858:Germany; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007990:Libraries / Q000266:history*; D008374:Manuscripts, Medical as Topic / Q000266:history*; D013030:Spain