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My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - basriemin - 06-01-2026
My theory is that the Voynich manuscript is a personal handbook created by a physician for daily practical use. Until the text is fully read and deciphered, everything said in this field inevitably remains at the level of theory. However, based on the research I have conducted so far, I consider my theory to be internally consistent.
I believe that presenting my theory under a set of basic headings will make it easier to follow.
Content of the Manuscript
The Voynich manuscript consists of four main sections. The first section deals with medicinal plants. The second section contains principles and diagrams related to determining the appropriate timing of treatments according to the movements of celestial bodies. The third section concerns bodily humors. The fourth and final section addresses therapeutic baths—their types, timing, effects, and rules of application.
I believe the manuscript was written shortly after the Black Death, in the first quarter of the 15th century. During this period, Avicennian medicine spread rapidly throughout Europe and was accepted as the foundation of medical practice for many years. The content of the manuscript is largely consistent with the knowledge presented in Canon of Medicine. However, there is a crucial distinction: while the Canon functions as a database, this manuscript operates as a user interface designed for practical daily use.
Place of Composition
I believe this manuscript was produced in Padua, by a student of botany and medicine associated with the University of Padua during the first quarter of the 15th century. Founded in 1222, the University of Padua was one of the most powerful and prestigious institutions of its time in medicine, philosophy, and law.
Mode of Writing
In the early 1400s, within the intellectual environment surrounding the University of Padua, knowledge was regarded as something that should be disclosed only to those who were competent and prepared. For this reason, texts were not encrypted in the modern sense but were deliberately written in layered, symbolic, and implicitly accessible forms. I believe the Voynich manuscript follows this tradition.
Language of the Manuscript
The author wrote this manuscript in a language intended to be understood only by himself. I propose that the text may have been written in Ottoman Turkish concealed beneath a Latin-looking alphabet. Ottoman Turkish uses Arabic letters, but its word and sentence structures differ entirely from Latin. It is a consonant-based language with no written vowels, read from right to left, and its roots can acquire different meanings depending on context. Letters are highly flexible and may sometimes appear only as a single stroke, tail, or loop.
Many researchers who have studied the manuscript have assumed that the language is Latin. This assumption is understandable, as Ottoman Turkish and Latin share an almost identical sentence structure. However, Ottoman Turkish exhibits a more flexible and organic compatibility with the Voynich text.
Modern Turkey abandoned this alphabet in 1928 due to its ambiguity and susceptibility to misreading. Today, Ottoman Turkish is no longer in active use. However, in the 15th century, it was one of the principal languages of medicine. Many European physicians were proficient in it. Moreover, Italy and the Ottoman world had centuries-long cultural interactions. One well-known example is the Galata Tower, one of Istanbul’s landmarks, which is an Italian construction.
The manuscript may have been written from left to right, while the words themselves are meant to be read from right to left. In such a writing system, natural gaps would occur within lines. The author may therefore have filled these gaps with filler glyphs that are not part of the actual reading of the text. Consequently, some glyphs may serve merely as spacing elements, while others carry the core of one or two consonantal letters.
In this process, the author may have unintentionally left a crucial clue. While writing meaningful segments, he may have been more careful, and while writing filler elements, more careless—resulting in a noticeable difference in pen pressure. This pressure contrast may provide a key for isolating the meaningful components of the text.
Botanical Pages
I believe the plants depicted on the botanical pages were selected from the Canon of Medicine. These plants are grouped according to their hot, cold, or sedative properties. From each group, species that were accessible and present in Northern Italy were included.
The drawings do not aim for strict botanical realism. The primary concern is not the visual likeness of the plant but which part of it produces which effect. The colors used on flowers correspond not to their natural appearance but to their medicinal effects. The placement of text follows the same logic: if the effect relates to the leaves or flowers, the text appears in the upper part; if it relates to the stem or root, the text is placed below.
Medicinal plant descriptions from this period follow a specific formula, and I believe the explanations in the manuscript conform to this pattern. An example structure would be:
The temperament of this plant is cold and dry; it cools in the second degree. Its root and leaves are used, while the flower has little benefit. It is harvested in spring, dried in the shade, and kept away from moisture.
This plant is harmful to hot temperaments and beneficial to cold temperaments. It calms bilious heat and agitation of the blood, relieves heaviness and dizziness of the head. It cools the heat of the stomach and strengthens digestion; however, excessive use weakens the stomach and suppresses appetite.
When its decoction is drunk, it quenches thirst and aids insomnia. When prepared with honey as an electuary, it softens the chest and calms coughs. Applied externally, it reduces redness and swelling.
However, excessive consumption is harmful; it is especially damaging to those with weak hearts and cold temperaments. Such individuals should correct it with anise or ginger. It should not be given to pregnant women.
The most suitable time is early morning; it is taken for three consecutive days and discontinued on the fourth. Continued use beyond this is not permitted.
Zodiac Pages
In Avicennian medicine, the human body is believed to contain four fundamental humors, and all diseases arise from an imbalance among them. Treatment aims to restore this balance. Celestial bodies—especially the Moon, as well as Venus, Mars, and others—were believed to exert direct influence on these humors. Therefore, the timing of treatment was determined according to the positions of these bodies.
These pages represent a usage interface far ahead of their time. While such information was typically conveyed through tables and long texts, the author transformed all treatment timing charts into diagrams, creating an exceptionally practical system. In a single diagram, one can see the Moon’s passage through the zodiac, the bodily conditions associated with specific days, which treatments are beneficial or harmful, and which temperaments are suitable for which interventions.
Textual versions of these diagrams exist in contemporary manuscripts. For example, the distance of stars held in the figures’ hands indicates treatment suitability, while the vessels they stand in represent treatment methods.
Bodily Humors and Bath Pages
These pages address the four fundamental humors—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—and their effects on the organs. They also explain, through text and imagery, which bathing cures should be applied to which organs, at what times, and in what manner.
The Author of the Manuscript
In the Vatican archives, I identified an ownership note on the final page of a Canon of Medicine manuscript. This note states that a botany and medicine student from the University of Padua, Johannes of Androna (written at the time as Ionnes), purchased this book in 1401. It is therefore plausible that the Voynich manuscript was written by Johannes himself.
I thank everyone who has read this far and wish success to all who take part in this enigmatic journey.
Basri Emin Sütlü
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - AlejoMarquez - 07-01-2026
Hi friend, first of all, great post.
I partially agree with several of your conclusions, but mainly that it's a manuscript about medieval botany/medicine focused on bathing/astral cycles.
I invite you to read my post from a few months ago (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.). It's simpler and less elaborate than yours, but I reached a similar conclusion based on what the manuscript reveals and the visible details. I hope you'll take a look and perhaps develop your opinion further. Cheers!
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - JoJo_Jost - 07-01-2026
Quote:Medicinal plant descriptions from this period follow a specific formula, and I believe the explanations in the manuscript conform to this pattern. An example structure would be:
The temperament of this plant is cold and dry; it cools in the second degree. Its root and leaves are used, while the flower has little benefit. It is harvested in spring, dried in the shade, and kept away from moisture.
This plant is harmful to hot temperaments and beneficial to cold temperaments. It calms bilious heat and agitation of the blood, relieves heaviness and dizziness of the head. It cools the heat of the stomach and strengthens digestion; however, excessive use weakens the stomach and suppresses appetite.
When its decoction is drunk, it quenches thirst and aids insomnia. When prepared with honey as an electuary, it softens the chest and calms coughs. Applied externally, it reduces redness and swelling.
However, excessive consumption is harmful; it is especially damaging to those with weak hearts and cold temperaments. Such individuals should correct it with anise or ginger. It should not be given to pregnant women.
The most suitable time is early morning; it is taken for three consecutive days and discontinued on the fourth. Continued use beyond this is not permitted.
I recognise this as a typical AI hallucination; it is too modern. I have read several medical prescription texts from that period, and nothing like this was included in the sources I read.
Can you give us a single source where such sentences appear?
Quote:In the Vatican archives, I identified an ownership note on the final page of a Canon of Medicine manuscript. This note states that a botany and medicine student from the University of Padua, Johannes of Androna (written at the time as Ionnes), purchased this book in 1401. It is therefore plausible that the Voynich manuscript was written by Johannes himself
Why would he purchase it when he wrote it himself? Do you have a source or a photograph? Without evidence or a source, your claim is worthless, because, sorry, but anyone could claim anything.
This claim is also a typical AI hallucination. So please prove the opposite...
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - Ruby Novacna - 07-01-2026
(06-01-2026, 02:23 PM)basriemin Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I believe that presenting my theory under a set of basic headings will make it easier to follow.
Hello Basri Emin!
Indeed, you've outlined your theory in very broad strokes.
Personally, I'm waiting for the details, especially regarding the language of the text.
You're not the first to suggest Ottoman Turkish, and I'm eager to see how you'll handle it.
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - Rafal - 07-01-2026
Hello,
Quote:However, Ottoman Turkish exhibits a more flexible and organic compatibility with the Voynich text.Why do you think so?
And another question - do you know about the work of Ahmet Ardic? What do you think about it?
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - basriemin - 08-01-2026
I have read your post. In Ibn Sīnā’s medical system, celestial bodies—especially the Moon—were believed to influence the fluids of the human body and, as a result, health itself. I think that the effects of the celestial bodies at the beginning, middle, and end of the lunar cycle are represented through colors. Decisions about treatment, surgical intervention, and rest periods were made according to this diagram. In classical manuscripts, this knowledge is almost always conveyed in textual form, but the author of the Voynich Manuscript seems to have designed a far more practical and user-friendly interface for this purpose.
You can look at the following example for a similar diagram: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
(07-01-2026, 05:28 AM)AlejoMarquez Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Hi friend, first of all, great post.
I partially agree with several of your conclusions, but mainly that it's a manuscript about medieval botany/medicine focused on bathing/astral cycles.
I invite you to read my post from a few months ago (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.). It's simpler and less elaborate than yours, but I reached a similar conclusion based on what the manuscript reveals and the visible details. I hope you'll take a look and perhaps develop your opinion further. Cheers!
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - basriemin - 08-01-2026
This text is not a translation exercise; rather, it is a compilation of effect statements drawn from classical botanical works. As a primary source, you may consult the plant descriptions in Ibn Sīnā’s (Avicenna’s) Canon of Medicine. However, I believe that Edviye-i Müfrede by İshak bin Murad is the work that was taken as the main reference. If you wish to examine it, one of the original manuscripts (in Ottoman Turkish) is preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
(07-01-2026, 06:21 AM)JoJo_Jost Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Quote:Medicinal plant descriptions from this period follow a specific formula, and I believe the explanations in the manuscript conform to this pattern. An example structure would be:
The temperament of this plant is cold and dry; it cools in the second degree. Its root and leaves are used, while the flower has little benefit. It is harvested in spring, dried in the shade, and kept away from moisture.
This plant is harmful to hot temperaments and beneficial to cold temperaments. It calms bilious heat and agitation of the blood, relieves heaviness and dizziness of the head. It cools the heat of the stomach and strengthens digestion; however, excessive use weakens the stomach and suppresses appetite.
When its decoction is drunk, it quenches thirst and aids insomnia. When prepared with honey as an electuary, it softens the chest and calms coughs. Applied externally, it reduces redness and swelling.
However, excessive consumption is harmful; it is especially damaging to those with weak hearts and cold temperaments. Such individuals should correct it with anise or ginger. It should not be given to pregnant women.
The most suitable time is early morning; it is taken for three consecutive days and discontinued on the fourth. Continued use beyond this is not permitted.
I recognise this as a typical AI hallucination; it is too modern. I have read several medical prescription texts from that period, and nothing like this was included in the sources I read.
Can you give us a single source where such sentences appear?
Quote:In the Vatican archives, I identified an ownership note on the final page of a Canon of Medicine manuscript. This note states that a botany and medicine student from the University of Padua, Johannes of Androna (written at the time as Ionnes), purchased this book in 1401. It is therefore plausible that the Voynich manuscript was written by Johannes himself
Why would he purchase it when he wrote it himself? Do you have a source or a photograph? Without evidence or a source, your claim is worthless, because, sorry, but anyone could claim anything.
This claim is also a typical AI hallucination. So please prove the opposite...
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - basriemin - 08-01-2026
I think so because the overall structure of the text appears to follow an agglutinative language pattern. In particular, the placement of nouns, verbal nouns, and predicates seems consistent with Ottoman Turkish syntax.
I have followed Ahmet Ardıç’s work to some extent. Honestly, I find his interpretations largely inconsistent and not well aligned with the internal structure of the text. His readings do not seem to respect the grammatical and positional regularities that the manuscript itself suggests.
(07-01-2026, 03:21 PM)Rafal Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Hello,
Quote:However, Ottoman Turkish exhibits a more flexible and organic compatibility with the Voynich text.Why do you think so?
And another question - do you know about the work of Ahmet Ardic? What do you think about it?
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - Ruby Novacna - 08-01-2026
(Yesterday, 09:57 AM)basriemin Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.This text is not a translation exercise; rather, it is a compilation of effect statements drawn from classical botanical works. As a primary source, you may consult the plant descriptions in Ibn Sīnā’s (Avicenna’s) Canon of Medicine. However, I believe that Edviye-i Müfrede by İshak bin Murad is the work that was taken as the main reference. If you wish to examine it, one of the original manuscripts (in Ottoman Turkish) is preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Unfortunately, I didn't understand anything. Which text are you referring to, the manuscript or the text announcing your theory?
RE: My Theory on the Voynich Manuscript: A Practical Medical Reading - Rafal - 08-01-2026
Quote:I think so because the overall structure of the text appears to follow an agglutinative language pattern. In particular, the placement of nouns, verbal nouns, and predicates seems consistent with Ottoman Turkish syntax.
You generated it with AI, did you?
Actually nobody is able so far to tell which word in Voynich Manuscriot is a noun, verb or whatever. If you cannot locate nouns, how can you say that they are consistent with Turkish?
Also agglutinative language means that there are long words built of several other words. I don't know Turkish but I believe what they say for example here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
And Voynichese words are nothing like that. They are rather short and have fixed structure: prefix, core, suffix.
But correct me if I am wrong. Are you able to give some examples of agglutinative words from Voynich Manuscript?