I do not know any Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese (except a few words that are similar to Latin), so I'm not sure how to interpret this reference in Recueil de dessins de plantes to Gentian (which I believe is either Gentiana lutea or Gentiana purpurea). It's the one with the two dragons.
The scribe has written
Vale ale ulcere caver nox alsuco
Does this mean it's juice/sap that is used for cavernous ulcers, or does it mean you're supposed to suck it for cavernous ulcers? I know they both mean essentially the same thing, but if it's written in this manner is the emphasis on the sap or is the emphasis on the action of sucking the sap?
Also, this phrase
vale ale morsure de serpenti e una drama del suco benuto cuntra al male de corta e caduto...
Here it mentions it's used for/against serpent bite and adds that a dram of the juice/sap "benuto" against maladies... I'm not sure what "benuto" is. Is it saying that a dram of sap is "good" or "beneficial" or is it saying to take the "good" or "beneficial" sap? Again, they mean almost the same thing, but I'm trying to understand the grammar so I don't misinterpret it.
It seems important because both sap and serpent bites are mentioned, which makes it hard to puzzle out the specific reason for the dragons (maybe that is why there are two of them, one to indicate it's good for bites, the other to indicate the sap is good?). I wish I could read this better so I could "sense" exactly what he means but perhaps someone can help with the interpretation.
The scribe has written
Vale ale ulcere caver nox alsuco
Does this mean it's juice/sap that is used for cavernous ulcers, or does it mean you're supposed to suck it for cavernous ulcers? I know they both mean essentially the same thing, but if it's written in this manner is the emphasis on the sap or is the emphasis on the action of sucking the sap?
Also, this phrase
vale ale morsure de serpenti e una drama del suco benuto cuntra al male de corta e caduto...
Here it mentions it's used for/against serpent bite and adds that a dram of the juice/sap "benuto" against maladies... I'm not sure what "benuto" is. Is it saying that a dram of sap is "good" or "beneficial" or is it saying to take the "good" or "beneficial" sap? Again, they mean almost the same thing, but I'm trying to understand the grammar so I don't misinterpret it.
It seems important because both sap and serpent bites are mentioned, which makes it hard to puzzle out the specific reason for the dragons (maybe that is why there are two of them, one to indicate it's good for bites, the other to indicate the sap is good?). I wish I could read this better so I could "sense" exactly what he means but perhaps someone can help with the interpretation.