The physicians of Myddvai : Meddygon Myddvai, or, The medical practice of the celebrated Rhiwallon and his sons, of Myddvai, in Caermarthenshire, physicians to Rhys Gryg, lord of Dynevor and Ystrad Towy, about the middle of the thirteenth century / from ancient mss. in the libraries of Jesus College, Oxford, Llanover, and Tonn ; with an English translation ; and the legend of the lady of Llyn y Van ; translated by John Pughe and edited by John Williams ab Ithel. Published for the Welsh Mss. Society.

Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physicians of Myddvai : Meddygon Myddvai, or, The medical practice of the celebrated Rhiwallon and his sons, of Myddvai, in Caermarthenshire, physicians to Rhys Gryg, lord of Dynevor and Ystrad Towy, about the middle of the thirteenth century / from ancient mss. in the libraries of Jesus College, Oxford, Llanover, and Tonn ; with an English translation ; and the legend of the lady of Llyn y Van ; translated by John Pughe and edited by John Williams ab Ithel. Published for the Welsh Mss. Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    24/514
    Physician, namely Rliiwallon, who was assisted by his three sons, Cadwgan, Gruffydd, and Einion, from a place called Myddvai, in the present county of Caer- marthen, whose rights'and privileges, as enjoined by law were worthily maintained and upheld by the prince. Under his patronage these men made a collection of valuable medicinal recipes applicable to the various disorders to which the human body was then subject. But though this collection bears their name, we are not to suppose that all the prescriptions contained therein were the result of the studies and experience of the Physicians of Myddvai. Some no doubt had heenin the materia *inedica of Wales long before; a few indeed may perhaps be traced up to the time of Howel the Good, if not to the sixth century. Such, however, do not seem to have been reduced to writing, until the Physicians of Myddvai took the matter in hand, and produced the work, which is now for the first time printed. The original manuscript is supposed to be the one lately transferred from the library of the Welsh Charity School, in London, to the British Museum. Of this there are several copies; the one adopted as the basis of the present volume is from the Red Book, in Jesus College, Oxford, which was carefully collated by the Rev. Robert Owen, B.D., Fellow of the said College, with a transcript made by the late Mr. Saunders, from INIr. Rees of Tonn's copy; which MS. Avas, moreover, co])ied about 1766, by William Bona, of Llanpum- sant, from another belonging to lago ap Dewi of Llanllawddog. The various readings of the Tonn copy are all arranged at the foot of each page, and referred to under the letter T.