The manuscript is written by the following hands.

1. Text, folios 1 recto, column a, line 1-5 recto, column a, line 22. Perhaps more than one hand, akin to those of Dáibhí Ó Cearnaigh, the Ó Ceannamháins and John Beaton in Edinburgh University Library MS. Laing III 21 and British Library MS. Add. 15,582: generally small and functional, but with distinct variations in style (e.g. folio 3 recto), size (folio 4 recto) and quality (folio 4 verso). Capitals coloured red to folio 2 verso.

2. Folio 3 verso. Precise.

3. Folio 3 verso. Niall. Ruairí Ó Siaghail is addressed. Broadly similar to hand of Eoghan Carrach Ó Siaghail, Adv.MS.72.1.29.

4. Folio 3 verso. An ostentatious hand, perhaps also to be compared with Eoghan Carrach’s.

5. Folio 3 verso. Hand 16 of Adv.MS.72.1.2, hand 2 of Adv.MS.72.1.4; John Rylands MS. Ir. 35, folios 60 verso, 67 recto, 120 recto. A rather coarse hand (open ‘a’, frequent distinctive ‘c’), that of a physician who records at folio 67 recto of the Rylands manuscript the names of the patients cured by him in Islay ‘between the Largie and the Oa’. The Largie is mention here also.

6. Text, folio 5 recto, column a, lines 23-36. Another rather crude hand.

7. Text, folio 5 recto, column a, line 36-column b, line 25. Similar in many features to hand 1; different ink.

8. Text, folio 5 recto, column b, line 26-last line. A Beaton? Adv.MS.72.1.2, hand 16; Adv.MS.84.1.16, notes a-c. Cf. hand 3 of Adv.MS.72.1.40.

9. Folio 5 verso Indistinct. A Beaton?

The contents (text) are as follows.

(i) On medicines, citing Jacobus de Forlivio and Avicenna. Beginning ‘Nota secundum Iacobum de Forl[ivio] .i. is[ed] ad[eir] Iacobus de Forlivio co fuilid da modh fa tabartar na lictubairi’. Ends “⁊ [innarb]aid [na d]éthaigh[e] ⁊rl-”. (Folio 1 recto, column a, line 1.)

(ii) On the three principles of nature (primary matter, form, privation), citing Aristotle and a commentator. Beginning ‘Secundum ph[ilosophu]m et conmentatorem primo phisicorum in prinncipio tunc unumquoque arbitramur’. Ends “⁊ ni doibh sin amain do labrumur in trachtadh so acht da cosm[ail]ibh g[o] huil[ide] ⁊rl-”. See Shaw, ‘Medieval medico-philosophical treatises in the Irish language’, page 151; and Adv.MS.72.1.2, folio 55 verso, line 1. (Folio 1 verso, column b, line 27.)

(iii) On ‘sinoca inflativa’, citing Bartholomeus. Beginning ‘(D)e sinoca vero inflativa ibidem dicit[ur] quia i(n)p[l]afit ex saingine puro et c[eter]a .i. ad[eir] Ba(r)tolomeos co ndent[ar] sincoa inflativa o fhuil glain arna himdug[ud] ana caindigheacht’. Ends ‘dor[eir] mar breatn[uig]es in liaig ⁊rl-’. (Folio 2 recto, column b, line 42.)

(iv) On hectic fever, citing Bartholomeus. Beginning ‘Feibris etica est consum con subsdaincialis vel naturailis huimiditatis memr(or)um ⁊ cetera .i. iseadh is fiabrus eitica and cnai substaintigh nadurdha na mball’. (Folio 2 verso, column a, bottom of the page.)

(v) On music, citing Aristotle. Beginning ‘Musica est plurium disimilium in unum redactorum concordia .i. iseadh is ceol no is bindes and’. (Folio 2 verso, column b, bottom of the page.)

(vi) On the elements, citing Arnaldus. Beginning ‘Elementa sunt prima ⁊ simplicia componencia omine (c)orporum .i. iseadh is duil and’. (Folio 3 recto, column a, line 21.)

(vii) On the ‘accidents’ in disease, citing Arnaldus. Beginning ‘Nod let co n-abair Arnalldus co ndentar gach uile aicid o cuis eigin dona cuisibh so’. (Folio 3 recto, column b, line 8.)

(viii) On the difference between ‘tristitia’, ‘timor’ and ‘ira’, citing Arnaldus. Beginning ‘⁊ adeir Arnalldus co fuil iofir idir trisitisia ⁊ timor ⁊ ira’. Continued at folio 3 verso, column b, line 1. Cf. Shaw, ‘Medieval medico-philosophical treatises in the Irish language’, page 156. (Folio 3 recto, column b, line 38.)

(ix) On three types of life (selfish, industrious, contemplative), citing Egidius. Beginning ‘Atait tri hernuile arin mbethaidh’. (Folio 3 verso, column a, line 1.)

(x) On medication and obstructions, citing Averroes. Beginning ‘Adeir Averoes in secundo de Coilictoirio nach bi mothughadh a ceadtabhairt in leighis’. (Folio 3 verso, column a, middle of the page.)

(xi) See folio 3 recto, column b, line 38. Text ends folio 3 verso, column b, line 32. In the ensuing space and in lower margin are the following: ‘Ochtar ra hairce, ni cel: Nai, Camh, Se, Iathfe’ (hand 2); ‘Bennacht ann so o Niall dochum mo chompanaichi fein .i. Ruari O Siaghail’ (hand 3, upside-down); ‘Da n-echaitt fil(idh) ar feacht’, 1 quatrain (hand 4); “Rig ós na” (hand 5); ‘As unach ata an Gilla Dub a teacht do barr na Leargan’ - possibly An Giolla Dubh Ó Siaghail, cf. Adv.MS.72.1.4, folio 100 recto (hand 5); ‘A Muire an fuil ort’ (hand 2). (Folio 3 verso, column b.)

(xii) ‘Fecain an fuil gles ort a’ (hand 5?); ‘Dar ar mbrethar as urcoidech an sgel do cuir’ (hand 2); ‘A Dia ce aca do mnaibh na d’ (hand 5?). (Folio 3a recto.)‘An fuil ort a pind coimes re fer an leabhair on medecus(?) cintach(?) ⁊ mise meirgech an techrain’ (hand 2). (Folio 3a verso.)

(xiii) On medicines, citing Seon Mesue and Avicenna. Beginning ‘Do guididar me na caruid is ferr agum co cuirind sgribta cu cumair cugu leigheas dileagtha ⁊ folmuighthi’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.2, folio 84 recto, column a, line 20. (Folio 4 recto, column a, line 1.)

(xiv) (Hands 6, 7.) Materia medica article on wormwood. Beginning ‘Absincium, centonica, poindticum .i. tri hanmanna an uormoint’. See Adv.MS.72.1.3, folio 1 verso. (Folio 5 recto, column a, line 23.)

(xv) (Hand 8.) Colours of urine and their significance. Beginning ‘Albus mar uisgi ngeal’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.33, folio 82, column b, line16. Headed ‘In nomen patris’. In lower margin (hand 2): ‘Dein re Crist mo gail go grad’, 1 quatrain. (Folio 5 recto, column b, line 26.)

(xvi) Blank save for ‘...le so an...og...o Gillanntris Mac an Ollamg ma(d) ail le Diagh curigh...’ (hand 9). (Folio 5 verso.)