Monday 15 May 2017

Brescia Ms B.V.24 – Herba Caspitres

Brescia, Biblioteca Queriniana, Ms B.V.24 is a XV Century manuscript written in North-Western Italy. Two pages from the manuscript have been published in “Di Sana Pianta”, Modena, 1988.

This page contains four plants from the “Alchemical Herbal”: Caspitres (#66, Caspetres, in the list published by Segre Rutz - “Il Giardino Magico degli Alchimisti”), Arteticha Montana (#51 Artetica montaria), Lucia Minore (#47 Herba Bazea minor et de nouem una), Oculus Domini (#54).

I present the description of the first plant, which, together with a medical use, includes an interesting magical application.

Link to larger image


Transcription: De lerba Caspitres | L'Erba caspitres achi non po fa ventosita di sotto. To questa | erba dagene beuere /o/ manzare. Subito petezara /e/ non fara | may altro che petezare fin che non sia fora la uentositade. | E se tu uo andare inuisibile. To questa erba pontela in bocha /e/ tene | schiusa la bocha non ha persona che te possa videre. / nasse alamarina. /

Translation: About the Caspitres plant | The Caspitres plant for who cannot make wind from below. Take this | plant and give it to drink or eat: he will immediately fart and he will do nothing | but fart until all windiness is out. | And if you want to go around invisible, take this plant and put it in your mouth and keep | your mouth open: nobody will be able to see you. It grows near the sea.

2 comments:

  1. Haha, no plant will beat this one.
    It's tricky though. If you walk around invisibly with this herb in your mouth and swallow it by accident, your presence will be revealed quite spectacularly.

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  2. Another chance to wheel out my favourite joke! :-)

    Q. Why does Hermes Trismegistus always belch and fart at the same time?

    A. As above, so below!

    ReplyDelete