A medical miscellany
[England: 14th–15th century]

John Moore’s personal interest in medicine began in his earliest days at Cambridge, and continued throughout his life. This manuscript miscellany of recipes in various hands forms a type of first-aid book; the page here explains how to remove a thorn from a man’s foot, how to protect a wound from infection, and how to make dwale, an early anesthetic based on hemlock. Moore collected many manuscripts for their beauty, though the medical aspect of this must also have been very appealing.

MS Dd.6.29, ff. 78v–79r (Royal Library)