fictitious Arabic text written in green, red and black

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The text does not provide a specific chemical or material recipe for the inks mentioned. It describes the physical application of three distinct colors—green, red, and black—used to create a 'fictitious Arabic text' that serves as the basis for a 'Latin interpretation' within a 16th-century medical manuscript (p. 92).

Evidence

"a 16th century manuscript which gives, following a fictitious Arabic text written in green, red and black, a Latin interpretation"

Remarks

This entry refers to a specific 16th-century manuscript held in Paris, cited by the author as a 'hideous example' of the 'phenomenon of degeneration of manuscripts' and the dissemination of 'corrupt translations' (p. 92). The manuscript is attributed to 'one Michael Scotus of Prague,' who is identified as the actual author of the purported Arabic text. This fictitious text, written in multicolored inks, was used to introduce 'superstitious ideas into medicine' under the title 'secreta naturae' (p. 92). The use of distinct colors for the 'Arabic' portion highlights the performative or deceptive nature of the manuscript's layout (p. 92).