Call Number:

Ms. Codex 2185

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

2 volumes (366, 368 pages)

Language:

French

Preferred Citation:

Medical recipe book and culinary and household recipe book, not before 1799, Ms. Codex 2185, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

not before 1799

Abstract:

These two volumes contain 357 recipes and were written and compiled by an unknown creator starting in 1799, likely in France. It is unclear when the creator completed these volumes. One volume contains medical remedies and the other contains pantry, culinary, rural economy, and household recipes.

The creator of these volumes is unknown.

The medical volume contains a letter pasted to the front pastedown in which the sender recounts "Monsieur de Flavigny's" report of a qualified medical doctor's opinion of "poudre dailhaud." D'Ailhaud's purgative powder was invented by Jean Ailhaud, a counselor, secretary to the king, and doctor of medicine in Provence, France. He was born in Lourmarin, France in 1674. In 1742, Ailhaud published a treatise on the creation of and uses for the powder.

Sources:

Ailhaud, Jean. Traité de l'origine Des Maladies et de l'usage de La Poudre Purgative ... Tractatus de Morborum Origine et de Usu Pulveris Purgativi…. Fortunat Labaye, 1742.

"Who's This Lady?," 24 Nov. 2011, Aixcentric. aixcentric.com/2011/11/24/whos-this-lady/.

These two volumes contain 357 recipes and were written entirely in French and compiled by an unknown creator starting in 1799, likely in France. It is unclear when the creator completed these volumes. The volumes are bound in paste paper bindings with paper labels. The volumes are not numbered. One contains medical remedies and the other contains pantry, culinary, and household recipes.

The creator divided the volumes into the following sections: "Recettes pour les maladies des hommes" [Recipes for the illnesses of man] (Volume 1, p. 1-95); "Recettes pour les maladies des chevaux et autres bestiaux" [Recipes for the illnesses of horses and other livestock] (Volume 1, p. 291-300); "Recettes pour l'office" [Recipes for the pantry] (Volume 2 p. 1-20); "Recettes pour la cuisine" [Culinary recipes] (Volume 2, p. 61-68); and "Recettes diverses pour l'économie rurale et autres objets" [Recipes for the rural economy and other items] (Volume 2 p.143-184).

The culinary and household volume contains 47 pantry recipes, 13 culinary recipes, and 111 rural economy and household recipes. There are indexes for each section (p. 53-54, 133, 351-353) and a significant number of blank pages (p. 20-52, 55-60, 69-132, 134-142, 185-350, 354-366). The pantry recipes include those for baked goods, vinegars, mustards, and other shelf-stable items. The culinary recipes mostly include meat and other perishable goods. The rural economy and other items include numerous methods for dyeing and coloring various types of material, destroying pests, making wine and tobacco, and producing other household products.

Examples of the medical remedies for humans include remède pour la "gols" (p. 3), recettes pour la "goutts" (p. 11), recettes pour la mal de gorge (p. 15), recette pour guérir les "gouetres" (p. 32), recettes pour les maux de poitrine (p. 33), recette du sirop pectoral anglais (p. 53), recettes pour la rage (p. 58), traitement pour les glandes au sein principalement et très utile à toutes celles qui peuvent se former dans d'autres parties (p. 61), manière de faire la "pamement" (p. 62), remède pour la gravelle (p. 76), and sirop pour la rhume (p. 83).

Example of the remedies for horses and livestock include recette pour la maladie des vaches (p. 293), remèdes contre la rage (p. 296), recette pour les blessures des chevaux (p. 293), pour guérir les cochons (p. 296), et le recette d'une poudre qu'il est bon de donner aux chevaux tous les ans ou printemps et à l'automne (p. 299).

Examples of the pantry recipes ("pour l'office") include gaufres flamandes (p. 1), biscuits du Palais Royal (p. 3), recette des gâteaux à la Madelaine (p. 4), recette pour une Charlotte de pommes (p. 5), pour le sirop de limon ou de citron (p. 8), and recette du "curaco" (p. 14).

Examples of the culinary recipes ("la cuisine") include des nouilles (p. 62), recettes de pieds de veau en ragout (p. 64), and recettes pour conserver la viande pendant 10 à 12 jours et même plus (p. 67).

Examples of rural economy and other recipes ("l'économie rurale ainsi que pour d'autres objets") include pour teindre en gris (p. 145), recette du vernis pour doser et appliquer des couleurs (p. 147), pour blanchir l'argent, et lui donner un bel éclat (p. 150), composition pour une pinte de diffèrent couleur (p. 152-153), pour teindre la papier (p. 155), secret pour détruire les taupes et les mulots (p. 164), recettes pour les vins (p. 167-168), and recette du tabac masulipatan (p. 173).