Structure-Signalling Devices in Middle English Manuscripts on the Diseases of Women

              Bo/etín Mi//ar('s Car/o
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
ISSN: 0211-2140
Structure-Signalling Devices in Middle
English Manuscripts on the Diseases of Women
Francisco ALüNSO-ALMEIDA
University 01' Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
ABSTRAer
This article examines the structure-signalling devices in some Midd1c English manuscripts
apparently written for the instruction 01' the midwife and the physician to assist women in their
siekness. My intention is to see whether the scribes intended to mark the structure 01' their text.
probably to guide their readers. and by what means this is aehieved. This analysis performed
here eombines a traditional methodology, i.e. paleaography, with modern pragmatie and di s­eourse-
analysis methods.
Key words: manuscripts, Middle English, palaeography, discourse analysis, punctuation, struc­ture.
ordinatio, visual devices, decoration, literacy, diseases of women, Gilbertus Anglicus.
marginalia
RESUMEN
Este artículo explora los mceanismos quc señalan la estructura en algunos manuscritos medie­vales
ingleses que, al parecer, fueron eseritos para la matrona y el médico para asistir a las
mujeres. Mi interés se centra en comprobar si los escribas tenían la intención de mostrar la
estructura de su texto, quizás para guiar a los lectores, y si es así, qué medios usan. La meto­dología
de cstudio combina la tradición paleográfica, con métodos pragmáticos y de análisis
del discurso.
Palabras clave: manuscritos, inglés medio, paleografía, análisis del discurso, puntuación,
estructura, ordinatio. elementos visuales, decoración, educación, enfermedades de la mujer,
Gilbertus Anglicus, marginalia
INTRODUCTION
Thc prescnt paper explores the deviccs used in a set of medieval manu­scripts
on the diseases of women that are versions of thc Gilbertus Anglicus'
gynaecological and obstetrical chapters of the Compendium medicinae to sig­nal
their structure. These devices faH into two main categories: non-linguistic
and linguistic. The non-linguistic cues to text structure include aspects such as
327
Francisco Alonso-Almeida Strllctllre-Signa//ing Devices in Middle Eng/ish Manuscripts...
decorative initials and drawings, whereas the linguistic cues comprise margi­nal
apparatuses, and the use of punctuation, among others. The two groups
serve the purposes of specifying the structure, and of indicating to readers the
part of the treatise they are reading or about to read. These mechanisms are
essential in medical treatises due to their practical nature.
The texts on the diseases of women were presumably written for a female
audience. As a matter of fact, sorne other variants of these manuscripts claim
in their prologues that the texts were aimed at a female reading public so that
immoral male doctors could not take advantage oftheir privileged situation, as
1 shall illustrate in section 2. The lack of literate women does not justify the
biased conception that all women could not read and that they were not inte­rested
in scientific and practical matters during the medieval period as this was
generally considered a male territory. Although it is true that the majority of
women were not taught how to read, a literate woman read the texts aloud to
them so that they could become documented and fully instructed in the craft
of childbirth. This does not rule out the idea that these texts were also read by
men, as they often were. In fact these texts on the diseases ofwomen were very
likely more widely distributed among male doctors: lt is not clear that the rea­dership
was necessarily a primari~y .remale one. We can only imagine that,
hecause of its apparently wider circulation and the intimaey with which it
appears to speak to a .remale audience. the text speaks to and helps define a
potentially.remale literaey. and a context jar that literacy, however limited
(Hellwarth 2002: 50). In this study, the use of thesc texts with contcnts presu­mably
written for women does not mean or intend to show that structure-sig­nalling
devices are gender-oriented.
2. DATA
The data for the present analysis have been read and collected from the ori­ginal
manuscripts that 1 guote below on page 329, along with eVK numbers
and bibliographical information.
The incipits as in eVK for the items in (1) and the other medical items in the
books where they are embedded are listed in (3) below. AH of the item studied
in this paper are written in fifteenth-century hands, although sorne sixteenth cen­tury
additions are also found. Green (1992) has identified these extracts as
Version 1 ofGilbert ofEngland's Compendium medicinae. This version 1 is cha­racterised
by the absence ofsome parts ofthe Compendium which are, however,
present in Version 2. The texts are often introduced by a prologue that justifies
the need for this text for women from a moral perspective: And thowgh women
have diuers evelles & many greet greuaunces mo than men knowen of,' as 1seyd,
hem schamen for drede ofrepreving in tymes coming & ofdiscuryng o.flvncur-
Boletín Millares CarIo
2005-2006,24-25: 327-342
328
Fml1cisco Alol1so-Almeidu
[1]
Struclllre-Sigl1ulling Devices il1 Middle Io'nglish Munuscripts...
VOLlI'1E BIBLlOGRAPHIC INFOR:VIATlON eVK NUMBERS
1 Glasgow, G1asgow University Green 1992
Library, MS Hunter 307 (U,7, 1), Vega-Déniz ed, 2002 1162.00
ff. 149v-165v (henceforth H) Alonso-Almeida 2003
Green 1992
2 Ncw Havcn, Yak Medical
Alonso-Almeida 2003
Hallacrt ed. 1982
Library, MS 47, JI 60v-71v
A\onso-Almeida ed. 1997
8199.00
(henccforth Y)
Alonso-Almcida &
Rodríguez-Álvarcz 199ó
3 London, British Library, S\oanc Grecn 1992
4554,00
5 (henceforth S5) Alonso-Almeida 2003
4 London, British Library, Sloanc
A\onso-Almeida 2003
Domínguez-Rodríguez 2004 906.00
3486 (henceforth S3486)
Domíngucz-Rodrígucz ed. 2003
teys men that loue women hutfor her lustes andfór herfóule Iykyng (London,
British Library, Sloane 2463, f 1941'; Rowland 1981: 58)1. The texts ana1ysed
here begin very differently, as shown in (2) below:
[2]
Also we sehulen vndirstonde that wymmen han 1esse hete in her body
than men & more moistnesse for defaute of hete that sehulde drye her
humours and her moistnessel But netheles kynde hath ordeyned wymmen a
purgacioun at eerteyn tymes of bledyng to make her bodyes eleene and hool
fre siknesse (H, f. 1491').
Her hegynnes the sekenesse 01' wymmen wech ys clepyd the moder id est
matrix ye sehal vnderstonde that wymmen hafc las hcetc yn them then men .
And mor moystnesse but ncuer the lesc kynde hathc ordeyned wymmcn a pur­gaeyon
ofbledynge at eertayn tymes . to make hyr bodyes elcne and hoolc of
sekenesse . the whyeh purgaeion of bledyng thcy hafe from tyme that they al'
xij yeer of age in to the tyme of fyfty yeer (Y, f. 601').
1 Thorns are normalised as 117 in all lhe cxamplcs; abbrcviations have been also silently expandcd.
329 Boletín Millares Cario
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
Fmncisco Alonso-Allneida SIrz¡clure-Signallill¡; l)evices in Middle t'n¡;lish MW71Iscripls ...
Sires we schull vnderstonde that women hau less hete then men in her
body and more moistnes ~ But nether lesse kynde hathc ordeyned a purgac­youn
at certeyn tymes ofbledynge to make her bodycs cIene and hole from all
sekenes and thei hau suche purgaciouns fro the tymc of xij 3ere wynter age in
to the age of fifty wynter (SS, f. l S9r).
A/so we shal vnderstonde that wymen hau lesse hete in her body than men
& more moistenesse for defaute of hete that schuld drie her humours and her
moistnesse But netheless kynde hathe ordeynd wymen a purgacioun at certayn
tymes ofbledynge to make hcr bodies cIene and hole froo sckenesse .And thei
hau sich purgaciouns fro the tym of xij wynter of age in to the agc of fyfty
wynter (S3486, f. 14üv).
These cxamples retlect that the variants were written almost /iteratim.
The texts in H and in S3486 are a case in point, as they are exact copies with
the exception of spelling, which varies according to dialect usage. In italics
in the texts ofY and SS, 1 have highlighted the differences between these two
and H and S3486. S3486 starts off in a very traditional way, whereas SS uses
the word sires to show that men are unquestionably one category of readers
ofthis trcatise. This stands in sharp contrast to what is said in the aboye mcn­tioned
Sloanc 2463, which clearly claims that the book is intended as a
manual for women: And therefóre, in he/ping 01' women ! wy/ wright 01'
women prevy sekenes the he/ping, and that oon woman mav he/pe another
in her ,~ykenesse & noght diskuren her previtees to suche vncurteys men
(f. 194r).
[3]
Glasgow, Glasgow University Library MS Hunter 307
Item Incipit Length (ff.) eVK no.
It is to understand that aman is made 01' four elements and
I every man hath tour 1-13 3206.00
2
Aman that will help men in their siekness him behooveth to
13-148v 640.00
know the eneheasons
3
As we shall understand thal women have less heal in lheir
149v-165v 1162.00
body than men and more moislness
4
A physieian bchooveth lo know three manncr inspeclions in
165v-166 659.00
bloodletting that is to say
5 Aloe is hol and dry in the sccond dcgrec and it 167-I72v 860.00
Boletín Mil/ares CarIo
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
330
Francisco Alonso-Almeida Struetllre-Signallillg Devices in Middle English Manllseripts ..
New Haven, Yale Medical Library MS 47
Item Incipit Length (ff.) cVK no.
1 ksus that was in Bethlehem bom/ i\nd baptized was in tlum Jordan 1-57 3272.00
2
In the monlh 01' January white wine is good to drink fasting and
forbear and bloodletting seven days 57-5Rv 2999.00
3
Take feverfew and tansy red fennel sage and live leaves 01'
wonnwood and stamp them in a morter 59-59v 5334.00
Ye shall understand lhat women have less heat in them than men
4 and more moistness 60-60v R244.00
5
Withholding of her blood that she may not ha ve her purgation
in due time is caused 60v-71 R199.00
6
Take calamint sage southernwood puliol royal puliol montane
72-72v 5200.00
pellitory rosemary camomille
7
i\gnus ("astus is an herb thalmen call tutsan or parkleaves and
this herb hath 73-99 772.00
Ilerba cruciata is crosswort this herb hath little leaves and
R a small stalk with while tlowers R4-R5 2139.00
9
Take hyssop and stamp il small and then put therto a littlc wort
102v 5545.00
and lemper thcm together
10
In the ycar be lour quarters ruleth by the I(,ur comp\cxions
103-I03v 3049.00
Ifthou would keep thee long health then hold this rule flee
11 anger wrath and envy give thee lo mirth 103v-104 2743.00
12
There be lifíy canicular days that is lar to wit Irom
the fifteenth kalends 01' i\ugust 104-I04v 7135.00
13
Right as lhere be lour elements so there be four complexions
according in al! I04v-1 05 4355.00
13
i\lexander the greal conqueror in all his conquest and wars was
ruled by i\ristolic 105-109 R02.00
14
In cach changing 01' eaeh moon bcen two days in which
whatever thing he begun 109-110 2777.00
15
Evermore thus reigns the planets in their course lirst Saturn
then .Iupiter then Mars 110-IIOv 1544.00
16
Saturns hour is good and strong to all thing that asks strength only
and to nought clse IIOv-112 4490.00
17
i\fter that this i\\cxander the great king conqueror 01' all the world
has gonc to Macedonia 112-113 760.00
Thou shalt understand that cvcry quartcr 01' thc moon eontaincth
IR in Luna seven dies 113-113v 7532.00
Takc ofeancl lour ounees ginger onc ouncc and halfgrains de
19 paris galingalc Ilutmcg 114v-116 5671.00
20
Takc a pottle of line wort and a pint of good honey and put in
a pan and let lhcm boi1 116-IIRv 4ROO.00
331 Boletín Millares Cario
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
Francisco A/onso-A/meida Structure-Signa//ing Devices in Midd/e Eng/ish Manllscripts ..
London, British Library, S/oane MS 5
Item lncipit Length (ff.) eVK no.
1
Ache is hot and dry thc juice of achc and crumbs of bread
13-57 729.00
made of wheat made in a plaster
2
Age is mother of forgctilhed and forasmuch as (he science
61-62 765.00
of prognostication
3
Thcn we may not prognostic in maladics til wc know verily thc
62-63 7115.00
malady and thcrefore
4
Scotomy is such a sickness of the brain that it maketh aman to
63v-15 1v 424.00
sccm that he sceith tlics
5
Conccption id est thc conceiving now by vice of the man and
152-153 1436.00
now by vice of thc woman
6
Lcpra is a corruption of thc mcmbcrs coming of putrefaction
153-155 3339.00
or rotting of
7
Rallcedo id est hoarsehood or the impcdiment or hindcring
155-155v 4072.00
of the voice is caused
R
Takc an egg and roast it hard then cut it twain long way and
156 4943.00
incontincnt lay on
9
And in the paticnt eke measure c1ectuary to the restoring of the
157 26000
moisthood
10
Master Bemard wrote in a book that is callcd among Romans
157-157v 3527.00
Alma GestonuTI that if
I1
Sirs we shall understand that women havc less hcat than men in
15R-lnv 4554.00
their body and more moistness
12
lIere beginneth the marvelous and soothfast cunning of
173 2247.00
aslrology tound and provcd
13
Wit yc well indoubtable that whcn the moon is in Aries for that
173-179 RIR4.00
begi nneth at
14
Now then man desircst to have lhe eomplexion and the virlue
179 37R5.00
ofthc moon wit thou well
15
Hcre bcginneth the moon Ptolomy tound by old doctors of
179-179v 2251.00
astrology morc than thrce thousand
16
Now ye must undcrstand thal there been scven plancts the tirsl
179v-IRI 3R 17.00
and the most next us of all
17
Evermore after other rcigneth the seven planets first Saturn
IRI-182v 1539.00
then JlIpitcr Mars Sol Venus
18
1n urine becn eightccn contents that is to say the circlc ample
182v-187 30R6.00
reni c10uds
19
If a woman milk her right brcast in water and if it fall down lo
187 2575.00
the bottom then it is
20
Karapos significth thc dropsy a wind under lhe sidc thc stone
187\'-190 3287.00
and the hcadache apostcme in the 11Ings
21
For to know evils that comc of apostemes how it am c1eped
191-193 1911.00
and ofwhat complexion it am
Boletín Mí/lares CarIo
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
332
[<"roncisco A /onso-A /meida Strllctllre-Sigl1a/lil1g De\'ices il1 /vlidd/e Eng/ish Mal1l1scripts ..
London, British Library, S[oane MS 3486
Item
2
4
6
7
x
9
10
Incipit
There been lhree general rules given in lhis maller how lhal a
man shallmakc
fake one ounee 01' sugar candy lutty preparale lhree drams
powder thcm
Takc eommon mallows and see lhe lhen lill lhey be soti
Ilere beginneth a lrealise of Ipoeras Galen Lucien Ilcnrieus
de I\mondavi 11a
There shall be two lhings lhe whieh owe lo be undersland 01"
euralion 01' wounds
Galen lhal was the lanlern 01" physieians and of surgeons sailh
in the seventeenlh book De ulililale
It is lo undersland lhal aman is made of tour elemenls ami cvcry
man halh rour
Álso wc shall understand lhal womcn have less heat in lheir
body amlmorc moistness
Á physieian behooveth lo know lhree manner of inspeelions
in bloodletting lhal is lo say
For garsing amI venlosing il befallelh otilimcs small veins lo
be louched lhal run
Length (ff.) eVK no
3-16v 515.00
17-IX 463.00
1X-IXv 5244.00
IXv 2198.00
19-57v 7233.00
5X-XOv 2004.00
X6-140vand
3206.00
25-25v
140-147v 906.00
147v 659.00
147v-148 IX41.00
The eontents of the treatise (Version 1) are divided into fifteen ehapters,
ineluding the prologue. l have found that this division is kept in al! the
copies surveyed here. The tablc in (4) illustrates the relationship in terms of
contents among the tour manuscripts and the Compendium medicinae by
Gilbert of England, here identified as A. Thc internal structure of the chap­ters
is also maintained in all the texts. This structure is shown in terms of
stages that are labclled according to thc contents they represent, following
the directions in Hasan (1985) and Eggins (1997). These two authors use
thc conccpts of structure gcncric potential and actual generic structure. The
former offers all the possible stages that may be used in the production of a
specific genre, whereas thc latter presents the stages outlined for a spccific
examplc. Thc stagcs can bc compulsory or optional for a given structure
potcntial.
333 Boletín Millares Cario
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
Francisco Alonso-Almeida
[4]
Strueture-Signal/ing Deviees in Middle English Manuseripts...
H Y SS S3486 A
Preface: Also we Preface: Ye sehal
Preface: Sires we Preface: Also we
De retentione
shull vnderstonde shalundet:vtond
sehulen vndirstonde vnderstonde that
that that
menstn{orum
With holding 01' Wyth haldynge With holdyng al' Withholdynge al' De retentione
Ihis blod al' here blode Ihis blode Ihis blode menstruorum
Dropesie 01' Ihe Dropcy oflhe Dropsie 01' Ihe Dropesie al' the De ydropisi
modir modere modir modir ma/ricis
Sleyng 01' Ihe modir
Fleynge 01' Ihe Felyng oflhe Sleynge al' Ihe De excorialione
modere moder modir ma/ricis
To moche tlowing To myche tloynge To myche tlowyng
To myche tlowynge
Defluxu nimio
ofblood al' blode ofblode InenstruOl'um
Suffocacioun 01' Ihe Suffocacio SotTocacion al' Ihe Suffocacion 01' Ihe De su//óeatione
modir matricis modir modir matriels
Precipitacioun 01' Precipilacioun al' Precipilacioun 01' Precipilalion al' Ihe
De precipitatione
matrieis + De
Ihe modir Ihe moder the moder modir
exitu matric;,..,'
Moche wynd ther Wynde yn Ihc
Miche wynde
Mychc wynde ther De vento.\'itate
is also in Ihe modir moder is also in Ihe moder matricis
A poslum 01' Ihe For aposleme yn A posleme al' Ihe A poslume al' Ihe De apostema/e
modir Ihe moder moder modir matriels
Woundis al' Ihe Woundys yn Ihe Woundis in the Also woundes al' De vulllerihus
modir moder moder Ihe modir matricis
Cancryng al' Ihe Cancur 01' Ihe Cancryng 01' Ihe Cancrynge 01' Ihe De cunero
modir moder modir modir matricis
Ache 01' Ihe modir Ache 01' Ihe moder Ache oflhe moder Aehe 01' Ihe modir
De dolore matriels
postpartum
Greuaunce that
Greuaunce al' the
Greuaunee that Greuance that
De di/fieultate
woman hau in women haue in women hau in
bei3ring child
moder
berynge 01' childrene beryng ehilde
pariendi
De seeulldina intus
The secoundyne Secundina matrice Secundyne The seeondyne remanente post
partum
Also women bleden
Bledyng al'
Also women blede
De/luxu sallguinis
olherwhil lo moche Blodynge oflhe olher while lo
aftir Ihat Ihei hau
wymmcn after Ihe
modir mychc after that Ihei
+ De eallero
bore child
birlhe
hau bore chylde
tnatricis
Bo/etín Mil/ares CarIo
2005-2006,24-25: 327-342
334
Frul1cisco A/ol1so-A/meido Slructlll'e-Sigl1o//il1g /)('\'ices il1 Midd/e El1g/ish MOl1l1scripts ...
The generic structurc potential differs both for the prefaces and the rest of
the chapters. Thcsc structure potentials are given in (5), bclow:
[5]
pREFACE - GENERIC STRUCTURE POTENTIAL (as in Alonso-Almeida 2003)
[--------1 (TI ) 1\ TD 1\ AEI 1\ TOC
---------.------
Key: TI: topie introduetion; TD: description of topie;
AEI: additional explanatory infonnation;
TOC: treatise organisation 01' eontents
CfIApTER - GENERIC STRUCTURE POTENTIAL (as in Alonso-Almcida 2003)
~ --------) I TT 1\ DO 1\ R
R= 11\ (1') 1\ (A) 1\ (E)
-. --.--- - -------
Key: TT: title; DI): dcseription of disease; R: reeipe:
1: ingredients; 1': preparation; A: applieation;
E: cvaluation 01' trcatment
As seen in (5), the gcncric structure potential for thc introductory ehapter is
divided into four stages. The first stage is TT, which is optional, and it serves
the purposc of telling the reader what the text is about. The following section
deals with a description of the topic of the complete treatise. This infonnation
is given in the traditional problem-solution typc of tcxt, as defined by Hoey
(1994). The AEl stage provides more knowledgc that can help the reader
towards thc identification of the disease. Finally, the last section, i.e. TOe, has
a programmatic funetion as it gives an account of the chapters in which the
treatise is organised.
In the case of the chapters, the generic strueture potential requires three
compulsory stagcs; thc last one is a complcx stage that is divided up further
into another four stagcs, some ofwhich are optional. Thc TT part has two func­tions;
the first relates to the structure of the treatise as it indicates the begin­ning
of a new chapter. The second function serves to show the contents of the
chapter. The DD offers information on the causes, the origins and the
symptoms of the disease. The R section shows how to produce the therapcutic
products recommended to heal a particular disease. This stage is realised in
four substagcs that inelude the ingredients needed for the preparation (1), the
indications on how to perform the mixture of the ingredients (P), thc way in
which the finished remcdy should be administered (A), and, finally, a state­ment
evaluating the effieacy of thc preparation (E). Each 01' the stagcs is cha­racteriscd
by a lcxicogrammatical sclection that is constrained both by the
genre and thc register variables.
This description 01' the contents and structure of the treatises is very often
signalled both by non-linguistic and by linguistic cues. These will be catego­rised
and explained in section 3, below.
335 Boletín Mil/ares CarIo
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
Francisco A/onso-A/meida Slruclllre-Signal/ing Del'ices in Midd/e English Manllscripls...
3. STRUCTURE-SIGNALLING DEVICES IN H, Y, SS AND S3486
In this section, I describe the signalling structure devices used in the four
manuscripts of the present study. I shaIl firstly explain those mechanisms that
could be labelled as non-linguistic. These consist mainly in the use ofdecoration
and typographical devices. Secondly, I concentrate on the linguistic devices used
with a primary metatextual function. These are related to punctuation, theme
repetition, and the use of certain expressions and lexical items.
3.1. NON-LINGUISTIC DEVICES
The non-linguistic mechanisms to structure the text are different in each
of the manuscripts surveyed. Generally speaking, I have found the following
signalling strategies: (a) large decorated initials, (b) under!ining, and (c)
boxes for titles.
The use oflarge initials is extremely helpful, as they allow readers to skim
the text for the chapter needed to cure the disease in question. This tcchnique
is specially wclcomed in cases such as Y and SS, which do not have atable
of contents that could guide readers in this search for information. In SS, indi­cations
in a much smaller size show that addition of capital letters extending
to six lines was the work of a rubricator, or even the scribe himself, who
would have decided to perform this activity later, after the text had been
ncompleted (see (7), below). Marginal notations found in the other three texts
fulfil a similar functian. The nature, the form, the number and the date of
these notes are varied, as we shall see in section 3.2.
Another cue to understanding the organisation of the contcnts is the pre­sence
of underlining. This technique is especially effective in text SS, as it
c1early indicates the intemal structure of the chapters, as in (6):
[6]
Suffocacion of the modurs
... But li! the humours
is colde ... ~Al1d so be that isj
seide be fore in the chapitre
of withholdyng... ~And therejóre
whan they ben in here accesse...
The last non-linguistic device is the use ofboxes that show the beginning
of chapters, particularly in SS. Thesc boxes contain the title of the chapter
they precede, and they are scparated fmm the previous chapter by several
lines. This distance together with the box and the capital initial is a potential-
Bo/erin Mil/ares Cario
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
336
Francisco AfO!1So-A fllleida Slmclare-Signofling DeI'iees ill lYliddfe f,-nglis/¡ Monuscripls..,
Iy visual dcvice to show the reader the contents of that particular chapter, as
in (7), below.
[7]
lTo~ych~0owyn~f~10~
T(> I1lvche 1l0\\V1l!2 01'
!tI blod~ at this n;cn;bre
comythc ill many manerys (SS. f 162'1\
3.2. LlNGUISTIC DEVICES
The linguistic mechanisms are similar in thc majority of thc manuscripts.
This is expccted as the tcxts are al1 extant copics of the translated Gilbert of
England. Thcsc dcviccs consist in the use of(a) punctuation marks, (b) a mar­ginal
apparatus, (c) certain expressions and lexical itcms, and (d) titles. 1shal1
now explain cach one of them in turno
The punctuation systems of al1 four texts havc bcen studicd in Alonso­Almeida
2002, which shows that thc majority of symbols servc the function of
organising thc trcatise contents into thematic units. Another task of punctua­tion
is the clarification of particular readings of the texts that can be ambi­guous.
Thc punctuation symbols used in thcse treatises arc the plll1CtllS, the
plll1CtllS elevatlls, thc pes positllrae, thc plll1ctlls gemil1us, the virgllla, the para­graph
mark, and the hyphen. The application of thcsc symbols is given in thc
following grid:
[8]
y
I1
S5 ,',
..'.
Thc interpretation ofthesc symbols is conditioncd by our undcrstanding of
thc structurc of thc tcxt, sincc it is very likcly that punctuation is givcn at
thc beginning and at thc end of sections for identification. Thc PUI1CtllS, for
337 Boletín Mil/ares Cario
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
Fral/cisco A IO!1So-AIlJ1cida Slrucl1lrc-Signalling Dc\'iccs in Middlc EI/gli.vh Manllscripls...
instance, does not show a high degrce of special isation as it is used (a) to show
numerals and measures, (b) to separate sections within the treatise, (e) to link
structurally independent linguistic units, (d) to show fronting and/or phrases,
and (e) to indicate the relationship betwecn phrascs. The examples in (9) illus­trate
these uses; the lettcr of cach cxample matches the function aboye that it
illustrates2 :
[9]
a. And they hau suche purgacioun fro the tyme otf.$ xij·$ wynter age in to
the age oftifty wynter (H, tI 149V-15OC).
b. A prophetabull bathe for this sekenes . and also for the tlux.$ Take a
gode quantyte of reyne watre . and the fyethe part of strong vyncgrc & sethe
ther yn the rynde of a blak plumtre And of a not tree . & roses· & plantayne
. conferee . daycy . ribwort . mynt oke appulls . pentafilon . huI les . of akke­hornes
. and of ehestaynes·$ sethe al these til the water' be blakes & thikke·
and make ther of a . bathe & cetera (Y, tI. 6Y-65V ).
c. Thei hau this purgaeioun euery monethe ones but if it be wymmen that
ben with ehilde '$ or wymmen that ben of drie eomplexioun and trauelcn
moche (H, f. 150 r).
d.·$ and in the tyme of hir purgaeioun thei be delyuered of litil matir (H, f.
151 V)
e. The colour of her bries & her yren·$ is eler rede (S3486, f. 141 1)
As seen in thcse examples, the pune/lis indicates thc structure of thc text
to the reader in yarious ways. This in turn helps the reader to haye a bettcr
understanding of the contcnts and, to locate specitic chunks of information.
This lattcr function is also supportcd by mcans of othcr symbols, as 1 show
in (10), below; the symbols are indicatcd in writtcn form bctwcen squarc
brackets.
[10]
a. Let her bathe hir in water that boekis & peritorie ben sode in & frote wel
hir wombe with al the erbis and whan sehe cometh out of the bath [pune/us
eleva/us] make a plasterof peritorie (H, f. 162r ).
b. Either take the other medicynesse that were jtolde in the eapitell of
tleyng of the moder [pes posi/urae] (SS, 1'. 170va).
c. whan the modir is yn [pune/us geminus] tak the poudre of gallis note­mugis
spikenard & clowes & tcmpre that poudre with piliol oile (H, f. 160r ).
d. [vi/gula] A gode suppositorye to purge the humouris [paraph mark]
Take the ... (SS, f. 16I Vh ).
What seems clear from the aboye examplcs is thc yaluc of punctuation
marks as structure-signalling deYices, as all thc instanccs quotcd reyeal the
" Thc puncli retencd lo here arc indicatcd hy lhe use of a supcrscripl dollar symhol.
Bo/etín Mil/ares Car/o
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
338
Francisco Afonso-Afmeido S/rucl1lre-Signoffing Dl.!\'ices in Middfe Engfish MOlllIscripls...
internal organisation of the contents3 . This does not undermine their rhetorical
function but instead enhances it since thc reader can easily identify the parts
that should be read as single informative units.
A similar function is fulfilled by the repetition of certain expressions and
lexical items that are strategicaIly arranged in the text not only as cohesive
devices, but also as a means to indicate the text stage in which the reader is
located. This is the reason why they occupy the theme position in the sen­tcnce,
as iIlustrated in (11), below, which has examples taken from the chap­ter
Aposteme oflthe moder in SS. These expressions are another, also, for to
help women o/ this sickness. other medicines are, especiaIly when given in
titles. Other linguistic elements inelude the imperative forms tak(e) and
mak(e), and the presence of specific lexical fields such as names associated
to body parts, diseascs and herbs. Thus, tak(e) , and in a lower number of
occurrences mak(e), is very often associated with the opening of a recipe
after the title, i.e. the ingredients section. The lexical field of body parts cha­racterises
the description of sickness section or the application section of a
reclpe.
[11 ]
a. ffor to helpe womcn of this sikencsse tyrst let her blode at the veync
vndur thc ancle (f. 169Vb).
b. Onc is takc whete mele... (f. 170rb ).
c. Either make a plastrc of snayllys (f. 17orb).
d. Either make a plaster of the rotis of affadille (f. 170rb).
e. Take the meth jwarmed and do ther to the iij part of dispumyd hony (f.
170va ).
These examples iIlustrate the way in which certain linguistic units are
organised in order to arrange the contents and hclp readers in their consulta­tion
of the work. A more extreme case is found in the same chapter of SS,
which involves thematizing of the conditional clauses throughout the text a
number of times that corresponds to the likely number of causes responsible
for the discase in question. The same wording with minor changcs is repeated
each time, as seen in (12); in the majority of the instances a paraph mark pre­cedes
the conditional clauses:
) Another example is found in the Prefaee to the text 01' SS. Here the scribe uses the paraph mark to
indieate visually the chapters in his programmatie inventory 01' contents. The seribe 01' H uses the virgule
for the same purpose in his text, Y. S34g6 shows a very unsyslematic way 01' marking lhe connection among
the diflerent chunks 01' infonnation that summarise the treatise contents. This scribe uses the paraph, the vir­gu\
e, the point, and even capitalisation alone to indicate the transition fÍ"om one unit lo the next. On some
occasions an absolute lack 01' punctuation is found: mom' 01/171' grel/(fIlIlCeS Ihal wvmmc>1l hall eommell 01
Ihe modllr (110 pllllc!lIa/iollllwrk!co¡li/afisa/ionj 0111' is s/oppvllge oflhe Mode... asjsevde [plmelm) Allo/ha
is slIjjiJcae\'OlIn... of"the modir [vi/gllfe/ ano/ha is whc>n... (f 140v ). In any case. lhe order ofthe chapters
given in the Prel~lce is not necessarily lhe order followed in the treatise.
339 Boletín Millares CarIo
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
Francisco Alonso-Almeida
[ 12]
Slruclllre-Signalling Devices in Middle English Manllscripls ...
a. And this posteme comythe sum tymcs of hote humouris (f. 169va ).
b. If it is of blode (f. I69va).
c. Ifit ben ofcolre (f. 169va).
d. Ifit is ofblode (f. 169Vb).
e. Ifhit be ofmalcncolie... (f. 169Vb).
Another structure-signalling device is notes in the margin, as r have
already pointed out in 3.1. In Y, they are given in Latin and English in fif­teenth-
century and sixteenth-century hands. The Latin notes exceed the
English ones in number, and they mainly indicate the presence of remedies
with words and expressions, such as a gode stwe (61 v), bona medicina (62r),
suppositorium (62r), alia medicina (6S r), to help wymmen (68r), aliud
emplastrum (69r), aliud (69r); the word aliud functions anaphorically to
refer to a type of remedy given earlier in the manuscript text. Other notes
indicate information regarding the symptoms of disease [signa generalia
(60V), signa (61 V)].
In H the marginalia seem to have been written in a sixteen-century hand,
and they appear on ff. IS3 r and ISSv. These additions represent one particular
reader's interest in a particular therapeutic subject. The note on ISSv, for
instance, readsfiJr broken veines exactly at the point in which a solution is pro­vided
for this purpose. The rest of the marginalia in the other manuscripts
work in a parallel way. SS offers the title ofthe running chapter in the top mar­gin
of each folio, at least twice for each chapter. Besides standard notes, S3486
gives numeric glosses in interlinear position as well as in the margins4 .
The last aspect in this group relates to the prescnce of chaptcr titles, which
have two clear functions. The first is to benefit the reader with some indications
as to where a pal1icular piece of infonuation can be located in the text. The
second is a metatextual function, since the chapter titles are used with an organ­ising
intention. Y exhibits some ofthese headings in English and some in Latin.
The use of Latin in this context has been reported by Pahta as a text-organising
strategy in Trevisa's translation of De proprietatibus rerum (2004: 43-44).
CONCLUSION
This paper has focused on those devices that signal the content structure of
four Middle English manuscripts on the diseases ofwomen. These devices are
divided into two main groups labelled non-linguistic devices and linguistic
devices. Non-linguistic cues to text structure include the use of large initials,
4 This typc of glosscs has bccn stlldicd by DOl11ingllez-Rodrígllcz (2004 j.
Boletín Mil/ares Cario
20()5-2006. 24-25: 327-342
340
Francisco A/o/1So-A/mcida Slruclllre-Signa//ing [)el'ices in Midd/e English Manllscripts...
underlining and boxes. Linguistic ones involve the thematization of certain
linguistic strings, the presence of sorne lexical fields, titlcs, and a marginal
apparatus. The analysis here has shown that the scribes are systematic in the
use of their own conventions to structure their texts. lt is intriguing to see how
different scribes copying different versions of the translated chapters on
gynaecology and obstetrics taken Gilbertus Anglicus' Compendium medicínae
tended to coincide in marking the same parts of the texts. However, the indi­cations
are not perfonned using the same set of conventions in all the texts.
Rather they differ from one text to another but all of them have a primary
organising, textual function. A secondary function is referential in the sense
that they guide readers through the text.
REFERENCES
ALONSO-ALMEIOA, F. 1997. Edition and Studv o{ a Middle English Gynaecological
Treatise. Yale Medica I Librarv MS 47, .Ir 60r-71v. Unpublished Licenciate
Dissertation, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
--- 2003. An Assessment of Punctuation in Some Middle English Gilbertus
Anglicus 's Versions of 'The Sekenesse of Wymmen'. Philologica Canariel7Sia 8­9:
13-42.
AU1NSO-ALMEIDA, F. and RODRÍCiUEZ-ÁLVARLZ, A. 1996. The 'Sekenesse ofWymmen'
Revised. Manu.l'cripta 49:3, 155-164.
ANGLlCUS. G. 1510 Compendium medicinae Gilberti anglici tam morboru[m] vniver­sali[
ujm Cfua[m] particularium nondum mediá\' sed [et! cvrurgicis vtilissimllll1.
lacobum Saccon [cxpensis Vicentii de Portonariis]. Lyon: Lugduni.
DO:vlíNCiUI'Z-RoDRÍC;UFZ, V. 2003. Estlldio y edición de un tratado ginecológico en inglés
medio tardío: Biblioteca británica MS Sloane 3486,.Ir 140v-147v. Unpublishcd
Licenciate Dissertation, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
--- - 2004. Glosas numéricas en el MS Sloanc 3486, ff. 140v-147v: Formas y
funciones. Boletín Millares CarIo 23: 197-220.
EGGINS. S. 1994. An lntroduction to Svstemic Functional Unguistics. London: Pinter.
GRELN. M. 1992. Obstetrical and Gynaecological Texts in Middle English. Studies in
the Age o( Chaucer 14: 53-88.
HALLAERT, M. R. 1982. The 'Sekenesse ofwymmen'. A Middle English Treatises on
Diseases in Womcn [Yale Medical Library, Ms. 47, fols. 60r-71 v]. Scripta 8.
Brussels.
HASAN, R. 1985. Unguistics, Longuuge and Verbal Art. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin
University Press.
HELLWARTII, 1. W. 2002. '1 wyl wright of women prevy sekenes': Imagining Female
Literacy anel Textual Communities in Medieval and Early Modern Midwifery
Manuals. Critical Survev 14.1: 44-63.
HOFY. M. 1994. Signalling in Discourse: A Functional Analysis of a Common
Discourse Pattern in Written and Spoken English. In: Coulthard. M. (ed),
Advances in Written Text Analvsis. London: Routledge.
341 Boletín Millares CarIo
2üü5-2006. 24-25: 327-342
Francisco A/onso-A/m<'ida Slruclllre-Signa//ing Devices in Midd/e English Manllseripls...
PMITA, P. 2004. 'So seip idem comentator': Code-switching and organisation of
knowledge in John Trevisa's translation of De proprietatibus rerum. In
Rodríguez-Alvarez and F. Alonso-Almeida, Francisco et al. (eds.) Voices on the
Past: Studies in Medieva! English Language and Literature. La Coruña: Netbiblo,
33-48.
ROWLAND, B. 1981. Medieva! ¡Voman :\" Cuide to Hea!th: The First Eng!ish
Cynaeco!ogica! Handbook. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press.
VEGA-DÉNIZ, A. 2002. A Midd!e English Trans!ation olCilbertus Anglicus:~ 'De mor­bis
mu!ierum' GUL. MS Hunter 307 (jl !49v-166v). Unpublished Licenciate
Dissertation, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
VOIGTS, L. E. and KURTZ, P. D. 2000. Scientiftc and Medica! TVritings in O/d and
Midd!e English: An e!ectronic Relerence. [CDROM] Ann Arbor: Michigan
University Press.
Bo/etín Mi//ares Cario
2005-2006.24-25: 327-342
342