The compendium of medical treatises was written 1611-1614 by Angus Beaton. He gives only his patronymic, Aonghus mac Fearchair mhic Aonghuis (pages 126, 192, 260), but this is sufficient to identify him as of the Beatons of Husabost in Skye. Apart from one visit to Skye (Trumpan, page 66), and a meeting or consultation with Cameron of Lochiel at a place called Dunán Eachain (page 106), Angus’ line-fillers and other notes indicate that the manuscript was written on circuit in the contiguous Argyllshire parishes of Lismore, Ardchattan, Muckairn and Kilbride. He was much in the Dunollie area of Kilbride in the company of Donnchadh “Albannach” Ó Conchubhair (cf. Adv.MS.73.1.22), of whose experience he was no doubt taking advantage (pages 126, 180, 198, 260, 302). It was his first manuscript, and it was Donnchadh who set him to write it (page 260). He even uses Donnchadh’s cipher (pages 302, 333, 348, 401; cf. Adv.MS.73.1.22, folio 310 recto). Donnchadh himself wrote passages at pages 42-56, 213, 239, 281, 298-300, 369-373, 471, and 482. He also made additions to Angus’s text at pages 167 and 174 and contributed a proposition at page 194. A hand similar to Donnchadh’s appears in a passage at page 213 and in additions to the text at pages 151 and 154. Pages 144, last line-146 and 149-151, line 2 were written by Eoghan Mac Pháill (cf. Adv.MS.72.1.34). The name Donnchadh Mac Duibhshléibhte occurs in the upper margins of pages 251 and 253, but does not represent a scribe. It seems to have come about in the following way. A hand crudely wrote ‘Du O’ at page 251; Angus made this into ‘Dunnchadh Mac O Dubhsleibhte’, then wrote ‘misi Donnchadh Mac D.S.’ at page 253. (For the name MacDunslaif in parish Ardchattan in 16th century, see ‘Origines parochiales Scotiae’, volume 2, part 1, page 155). Additions and an alteration to the text appear at pages 1 and 19 in the hand - probably a later development of Angus' own - which added to folios 214 recto, 215 recto etc., of the Skye manuscript 2076. Finally, a portion of text at page 293 is repeated in a hand resembling that of Adv.MS.72.1.2, folio 96 recto etc., and Adv.MS.72.1.33, folios 2, 7 recto.

The manuscript is acephalous and incomplete. It contains a ‘pot’ watermark. Of the two excised leaves (between folios 300-301 and 424-425) there is enough to show that they bore pen-tests.

Angus Beaton seldom left a line unfilled. His many notes and colophons are of great interest and are given below, as are most of his marginalia except the recurring ‘amen’, ‘an ainm De’, ‘cionnus sin’. Occasionally he addresses himself (pages 59, 192, 204); it is not to be imagined that another hand has taken over at these places.

The contents (text) are as follows.

(i) Aphorisms of Hippocrates. On Abridged version, cf. Adv.MS.72.1.10, folio 1 recto, column a, line 37. Beginning (acephalous) ‘ac dul cum an erruigh sin togluaisid o gach cuis da loig’. First complete section begins ‘Si vero aestas sicca fuit’. Ends ‘Finit’ after section beginning ‘Sudores copia calidi, aut frigidi’. Represents book 3, number 12 - book 7, number 61. Also covered in parts by Adv.MS.72.1.21 and 72.1.11. Angus' notes: page 2 ‘an Lios Mor damh 1611’; page 15 ‘Lios Mor ri na’ corrected to ‘a Lios Mori na in 24 la D(ecember)’; page 16 ‘misi Aonghus mc.c Fccccr.ch.ccccccr’ (i.e. "misi Aonghus Mac Fearchair ‘ic ‘ic Fhearchair?"); page 21 ‘an Lios Mor damh 30 la mi December 1611’; page 22 ‘co cuire Dia crioch maith air in leabar so Ao(nghuis)'; page 23 ‘an Lios Mor dam 1612’; page 33 ‘Dia liom’; page 34 ‘Dia liom do gnath’; page 37 ‘a Muc Arrna dham’. Note by Donnchadh Ó Conchubhair: page 52 ‘is olc an penn ⁊ an litir so’. (Page 1.)

(ii) Charms for sleep, nose-bleeding etc.; ‘in nomine patris ⁊c. amen’. (Page 57.)

(iii) Page 58 blank.

(iv) Definitions from Bernard of Gordon’s ‘Lilium medicinae’. Beginning ‘Febris est calor innaturalis’. Cf. National Library of Ireland MS.G 8, page 135; for Latin text see Bernard of Gordon, ‘Opus, lilium medicinae inscriptum de morborum propé omnium curatione: una cum aliis eius libellis'. Charms (pages 68, 83), an Aristotelian maxim (page 81) and an extra portion of text (page 91) were added later in lower margins. Angus' notes: page 59 ‘sin duit Aongus mic Ferchair’; page 64 ‘Sin mar sin o Aonghus mac Ferchair gidh nar re adm(ail)’; page 66 ‘a Trumpan damh in 31 Mars aois an tigerna 1612’; page 68 ‘1612’; page 69 ‘Misi Aonghus’; page 84 ‘an Dun Ollamh Beag dhamh’; page 87 ‘an Dun Ollamh’; page 92 ‘a Dunollamh Beg dhamh an 28 la Iulius’; page 94 ‘a Dia dena troctuir orum fein’; page 98 ‘Finis in 3 1. Aughustus 1612’. (Page 59.)

(v) Prognostics of Hippocrates. Beginning ‘Nihil perinde medico’. For Greek and English text see Jones, 'Hippocrates', volume 2, page 6. Maxims in lower margins at pages 110, 118-122. Angus’s notes: page 99 ‘a n-inm an athar ⁊ in mic ⁊ in spiraid naoimh’; page 103 ‘Dia liom’; page 106 “an Dunán Eachain duinn a bfochar Mic Domnaill Duibh”; page 108 ‘Dia liom’; page 100 ‘a Dia cuiri fein crich maith air so’; page 125 ‘a Dhia cuir briogh maith air in droch litir so’; page 126 “Finis an Aird Chonghail dhamh a bhfhochair Dhonnchaidh mic Eoin mic Domnaill mic Donnchaidh I Conchubhair aois an tigerna in tan sin 1612 an 3 la 20 Augustus. Misi Aongus mac Ferchair mic Aonguis gidh nar re na admhail do sgriobadh in leabh é. Ni bec sin”. (Page 99.)

(vi) Regimen Santatis Salernitanum. Beginning ‘Anglorum regi scripsit schola tota Salerni’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.33, page 41. Angus' notes: page 129 ‘an ainm De so sios’; page 132 ‘an Oilen an Sdalcaire 1612, 21 la’; page 133 ‘Dia liom’; page 141 ‘an ainm De so sios’; page 143 ‘a Dia cuir fein crioch maith air so’; page 145 ‘a Dia cuir crioch maith air in lebhar so’; page 153 ‘Dia liom’; page 154 ‘Finis ann so air Regement Sanatatis an 5 1. do Novemper aois an tigerna 1612 ⁊ gach aon leighis so tugadh beannacht air anmain an ti ro sgriobh .i. Aonghus mac Ferchair air na tarrng’ (last three words smudged). Note by Eoghan Mac Pháill: page 146 ‘Sin duit Aonguis & mo bendacht leis o Eoghan Mac Phoil’. (Middle of page 126.)

(vii) Note on prognosis titled ‘Gibe gabus no tuitis a dtinnis ger an aon la do laoitibh na sechtmhuine do reir an aird phisici Ypocratis’. Ends (page 135) ‘Lor sin de sin an Air Conghail damh in 3 la Februari 1612’. (Bottom of page 126 (lower margins only).)

(viii) Gilles de Corbeil (Aegidius). 'De Urinarum Judiciis'. Beginning ‘Dicitur urina quoniam fit in renibus una’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.33, page 61. Charms added in lower margins of pages 158, 170-171. Angus’s notes: page 155 ‘an ainm Dhe uile comactaigh’; page 158 ‘go gcuire Dia crioch maith’; page 159 ‘Dia liom’; page 162 ‘uch a Dia cuidigh liom ann gach uile chas’; page 163 ‘an Dun Ollamh damh in 13 la Novimber aois an tigerna 1612. Aonghus’; page 164 ‘uch a Dhe foir orm in Duin Ollamh’; page 173 ‘a Dia cuidigh liom’; page 179, line 2 ‘Finis an Dun Ollamh’. (Page 155.)

(ix) On contents, colour and substance of urine, beginning ‘Tri nithe vhis isin bfual’. With table showing colours of urine and their significance, cf. Adv.MS.72.1.33, page 82b. Ends “an Dun Olamh dhamh a bfochar Mic Dubhghaill ⁊ Donncaid Í Conchubair an 21 1. November”. (Page 179, line 3.)

(x) Propositions. Beginning ‘Quod male incipitur, male finitur .i. gach ni tinnsgantar co holc is olc crichnuighter’. Cf. Shaw, “Medieval medico-philosophical Treatises in the Irish language” in “Féil-sgríbhinn Eóin Mhic Néill”, page 148. A proposition in Gaelic only is added in upper margin of page 184. Angus' notes: page 181 ‘go cuire Dia crich maith air an leabar so’; page 184 ‘an Dun Olamh dhamh’; page 185 ‘Dia le fear an leabhair so’; page 186 "sguirim o d’imid in la uam"; middle of page 187 ‘Finis an Dun Olamh dhamh in 25 1. November’. (Page 181.)

(xi) Aphorisms. Beginning ‘Quicunque cognito membrorum interiorum’. Cf. National Library of Ireland MS.G 8, page 128. Angus' notes: page 192 ‘sin (o added later) Aonguis m(a)c Ferchair mic Aonghuis an Dunolamh’; page 193 ‘a Dhia cuir crich mait air fear an leabair Aonghus’; page 197 ‘anno domine 1612 Aongus’; page 198 “Finis anno domini 1612 an 28 la November an Dun Ollamh damh a bfochair Donncaid ĺ Conchubhair”. (Middle of page 187.)

(xii) Note on prognosis beginning ‘Quocunque enim die mittendi sanguinis scopos’, ending ‘ni bec sin’; page 194, propositions; page 196, note beginning ‘Coitus continue factus totum corpus desiccat, ascribed to [Iohannes] Scotus’ page 202, propositions, ending page 208 ‘misi Aonghus’. (Bottom of page 191 (lower margins only).)

(xiii) Propositions etc. Beginning ‘Medicina est scientia sanorum’. Probably extracted from medical tract by Thaddeus Florentinus, cf. National Library of Ireland MS. G 8, page 105; Royal Irish Academy MS.24 P 3, page 134. Angus' notes: page 201 ‘uch uch’; page 204 ‘olc an litir Aonghuis’; page 207 ‘an ne as ferr’ (margin), ‘an Dun Olamh damh in c. la do December an bliadhain d’eg prionnsa Alban ⁊ Shaxan ⁊ Eirionn aois an tigerna 1612’; page 209, line 16 ‘Finis anno domini 1612 in 2 la December’. (Page 199.)

(xiv) Notes on digestion and the purpose of food beginning ‘Omnis digestion habet suam superpluitatem’. (Page 209, line 17.)

(xv) Treatise on wounds entitled ‘Don cneidh do niter le piler ann so no leisin uile innstrumint gluaisis mar an cedna secundum Iohanem de Vigo Cenuensis’. Beginning ‘Mata nach fadhtar aon lorg leighis ar an cneidh so a sgriobhannuibh na n-udhdar arsuigh na og’. (Page 210.)

(xvi) Note beginning ‘Quemadmodum aqua mota non putrescit’, attributed to Celsus. Ends page 213 ‘och a Dhe foir orm an Airdconghail’. (Bottom of page 210 (lower margins only).)

(xvii) ‘Urina est calamentum sanguinis et humorum’. Cf. Royal Irish Academy MS.23 K 42, page 140. (Middle of page 214.)

(xviii) Bernard of Gordon. ‘De Floribus Dietarum’. Beginning ‘Coimhseasaighe corp an duine o ceitri lendaibh’. For Latin text see Gordon, ‘Opus, lilium medicinae inscriptum de morborum propé omnium curatione: una cum aliis eius libellis’, page 984. Angus' notes: page 225 ‘an Dun Ollamh damh an 18 la December anno domine 1612’; page 229 ‘Dia liom an Dun Olamh 20 1. December 1612’; page 235 ‘Finis air an leabar so darab ainm Blath na nDiet an Duin Olamh’. (Page 215.)

(xix) Maxims on diet. Beginning ‘Ut vites peanam de potibus incipe ocenam’. Angus' note: page 236 ‘a Dhia is olc in litir’. (Page 236.)

(xx) From Galen’s ‘Anatomia’. Beginning ‘Adir G. an leabhar Anatomia gurub iad so na boill oiredha’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.33, page 9. Angus’s notes: page 242 ‘an Dun Ollamh damh 1612 amen’; page 251 ‘Dunnchadh Mac O Dubhsleibhte’ (see above); page 253 ‘misi Donnchadh Mac D. S.’ (see above); page 260, line 2 “Finis don nAtomia o Aonghus mac Ferchair meic Aonguis an Aird Congail dhamh a bfochair Dhonncaidh I Conchubhair ⁊ ise Donnchadh tug an leabar so damhsa rena sgriobhadh ⁊ tugadh gach aon leidhis e beannacht ar anmain an Donnchaidh sin ⁊ guidhimsi iad fath gan cionta do tabairt dhamh phfein air son olcus a sgriobhtha oir ise an ched leabhar do sgriobh me riamh uime sin gach aon a leighis é gebadh se mo lethsgel aois an tigerna 1612 an ii la Ianuairius”. (Page 239.)

(xxi) Incipit tabula venorum. Breaks of incomplete. (Middle of page 260.)

(xxii) Maxims beginning ‘Cura canos’. (Bottom of page 260.)

(xxiii) On drugs, headed ‘Dona dreguibh an so’. Beginning ‘Is iad so neither aonda dileaghus leann fuar’. A portion of this treatise appears in Royal Irish Academy MS.24 P 3, page 257. Followed, as in 24 P 3, by notes on weights and measures beginning (page 279, fourth last line) ‘Labhrum ann so do comhtartaibh no do misuruibh’. Ended summarily at page 281 by Donnchadh Ó Conchubhair, who concludes ‘lor sin’. Angus' notes: page 264 ‘an Lios Mor dhamh an 9 la Iuli 1613’; page 271 ‘an Achadh na Croise an Lios Mor’. (Page 261.)

(xxiv) Rémacle Fuchs. Ten tables of common prescriptions. Beginning ‘Pharmacorum omnium quae in communi sunt practicantium usu tabulae 10’. For Latin text see, Gordon, ‘Opus, lilium medicinae inscriptum de morborum propé omnium curatione: una cum aliis eius libellis’, page 1093. Angus' notes: page 289 ‘Dia liom’; page 302 “Finis air na claruibh sin Gordonius an Apain Eoin Sdiab an Rí a foch Dhonnchaidh Y Conchubair ⁊ ise Donnchadh tug na clair sin damsa re sgriobhadh ⁊ gach duine a leighis iad no da ndena said maith tugadh said beannacht air anmain an Donnchaidh sin tug na clair uada dams arena sgriobhadh. Misi bhdlnghfts mbhc fscbhrcbhngr” (Aonghus mac Fearcair). (Middle of page 281.)

(xxv) Materia Medica. Beginning ‘(A)Ron barba iarus pes vitulti .i. tri hanmanda in geadhair’. Ends page 463 ‘gurab ainn sin fagmuid crioch inmolta cuimir tarbhach air an leabhar so neoch do tarraingeadh a hainntitairibh ⁊ a herbulairibh cathrach Salernitani ⁊ do reir sduider comhaontuighi dochtuiribh tSleibhi Pisulain ⁊ adubhradar na maighisdrecha sin gach ni tinnsgainter an ainm Dia gurab dingbhalla a criochnudhadh an ainm Dia’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.3. Angus' notes: page 303 ‘a n-ainm an athar ⁊ an mhic ⁊ an spiraid naoimh’; page 314 “a Barr na Muc dam an 2 1. don Mái 1614”; page 318 ‘olc in litir ⁊ a Dia fein cuiduig(eadh) le ar feabhas’; page 323 ‘Dia liom’; page 329 ‘a Gleann Craibhrionn dam 1614’; page 332 ‘olc an litir cam’; page 333 ‘bhdlinghfts mbhc fscr chair’ (Aonghus mac Ferchair); page 336 ‘Dia lio do gnat’; page 348 ‘Misi bhdlnghfts’ (Aonghus); page 339 ‘Dia liom’; page 401 ‘mngsng bhdlnghfts mbhc fsebhrcair’ (misi Aonghus mac Fearcair); page 446 ‘lor de an Aird Congail dam 1614’; page 455 ‘cill’ (in margin); page 459 ‘Dia liom do gnath’; page 460 ‘a Dhia cuir crich maith air fer an leabar so’. (Page 303.)

(xxvi) Page 464 blank.

(xxvii) On signs of fevers. Beginning ‘Tria sunt subiecta medicine ⁊ cetera amail adeir maigister Ricairdi. Ends incomplete ‘An 11 comartha (con)gbail an pulsa sa sdait ana roibh e san eslainte. An 12’. Draws extensively on Ricardus; Philaretus also cited. Cf. Edinburgh University, Mackinnon MS.2 (described in Mackinnon, page 315). Angus' notes: page 465 ‘an ainm Dia so’; page 476 ‘a Dhia medidh mo ciall ⁊ mo ccliocus’. (Page 465.)