I recently had a nice day out in Whitstable (marred only by a little light rain and a touch overhoneyed squid tempura dipping sauce, upstairs at the otherwise excellent Crab & Winkle Restaurant). I only mention this because Whitstable’s Wetherspoons – The Peter Cushing – is named after the famous British horror actor (who had a house in the town for many years), famous for playing Grand Moff Tarkin and vampire hunter Van Helsing. And so some people might suspect Cushing’s Syndrome to be a condition involving, say, irrational fear of vampires.
Alas no! In 1912, the same year that Wilfrid Voynich was (supposedly) buying his now eponymous manuscript, it was American brain surgeon Harvey Williams Cushing (1869-1939) who described his patient Minnie as suffering from hypercorticism, though he originally assumed that this was some kind of polyglandular disorder. By 1943, this was known to be “an endocrinological syndrome caused by malfunction of the pituitary gland”, and was named Cushing’s Syndrome in H. W. Cushing’s honour.
So: all distracting mentions of sanguivoriphobia aside, how does Cushing’s Syndrome present? “Symptoms include rapid weight gain, particularly of the trunk and face with sparing of the limbs (central obesity). Common signs include the growth of fat pads along the collarbone, on the back of the neck (“buffalo hump” or lipodystrophy), and on the face (“moon face”).” It is also far more common in adult women than in adult men.
This should be just about enough of a trigger for long-suffering Voynich researchers to work out precisely where this is all leading…
Alexander N. Gabrovsky, Ph.D
It is a certain Alexander N. Gabrovsky, who styles himself as a “Medieval Consultant“, who is about to have a paper published in the Spring 2018 issue of “Source: Notes in the History of Art” (Vol. 37 No. 3). This paper – “Galenic Humoral Theory and Amenorrhea: Cushingoid Phenotype in a Fifteenth Century Illustrated Cipher Manuscript,” – which he asserts will be “one of the first peer-reviewed art historical perspectives on the Voynich Manuscript” will surely link the Voynich Manuscript (specifically its preponderance of Voynich nymphs, almost certainly) to the way Cushing’s Syndrome typically presents.
With my Art History hat on, I’ll be interested to see whether or not the whole “Cushingoid Phenotype” was ever depicted in a recognisable way in the centuries before 1912: it would be a strange paper were it not to even pose that question.
Gabrovsky describes himself as…
“[…]an American medievalist and hold a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (England), specializing in medieval literature, alchemical manuscripts, paleopathology (study of ancient diseases), history of art, Chaucer, and history of the occult sciences from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.”
Hooray Nick ! I have wondered, for many years as to why my stepsister was grossly obese, but normal height. My younger sister is/was normal but slightly smaller than me. I am small and fairly thin. So, I will be tracing the genetics of Cushings disease. Thanx for the lead.!
bd
Alas yes! It might also be recalled by the expert paleontologists amongst us, that 1912 is also the birthyear (rebirth) of Chuck Dawson’s celebrated Piltdown man. Along with the Titanic sinking, Wilson’s US election and a long overdue ashes victory for England, the unveiling of this wonderous evalutionary step forward was duely noted in my almanac for the year. So, while all of these breaking cable news stories were dot-dashing their way around the rapidly shrinking globe; what was going down with our Wilfred? Absolutely nothing according to my posted complete calendar of important events in world history. Piltdown Man only remained remotely plausible, in some scientific quarters for less than fifty years; VM still appears to have many favorable unwavering expert devotees after a hundred and some odd, with few detractors and yet it fails to get even an honourable mention. What a bummer!……
OK! We can accept that Wilfred, promised the seller discretion against disclosing his source and to his eternal credit, remained mum. Why, we might ask, did the fool not just come out with something like, “Oh! you mean that manuscript. Actually I found it in the back seat area of a little Hillman Minx, parked right outside Waldorf Astoria hotel in uptown Manhatten.” Sounds absolutely plausible and would have been accepted without question.
It does strike me as strange that all (?) of the human figures depicted in the VM appear to be Cushingoid. But, Cushing’s syndrome/disease is usually thought to be individual disease or syndrome, without epidemic or population wide incidence. However, in the 15th Century it is possible that Cushing’s syndrome might have been prevalent in certain populations because of a combination of factors that decreased in later centuries.
I suspect that a combination of iodine deficiency and the excess consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, turnip and swedes could cause Cushing’s syndrome in a local population. Parts of inland Europe (and any inland areas in general) can have a deficit of iodine in the water and soil depending upon the local geology and the exposure to wind borne sea salts. The crops and drinking water in such areas can then contain insufficient iodine to sustain healthy thyroid function. This situation (iodine deficiency) will be exacerbated by any components in the local food that interfere with the proper functioning of the thyroid. Unfortunately cruciferous vegetables contain certain substances (“chemicals” – how I detest the use of that word in general discourse where anything thought to be “good” is called a vitamin, a mineral, a nutrient or a supplement. Anything that the speaker thinks is a work of the Devil is a “chemical”. Sheesh – there is very little in the universe that isn’t chemical) that interfere with the proper functioning of the thyroid.
These “chemicals” are known as goitrogenic substances, and if you have a thyroid problem it is best if you avoid them or restrict them in your diet.
I have searched but I can not find any previous research dealing with the question of widespread thyroid problems in the population of Europe (or elsewhere) pre-Twentieth Century. But, judging from what is now known, it is certain that hypothyroidism must have been a worldwide health problem up to the recent past (because transportation of food and commercialised foodstuffs reduces the problem of iodine local deficiency in food). It certainly would have been a problem in some areas of 15th Century Europe. But I think that widespread Cushing’s symptoms requires a double whammy – soil and water deficient in iodine, plus goitrogenic food stuffs (mainly cabbage, turnips and swedes in 15th Century Europe?).
As it happens there are detailed maps of the iodine status of the soils and the river water of Europe. See:
http://weppi.gtk.fi/publ/foregsatlas/maps/Topsoil/t_icpms_i_edit.pdf
http://weppi.gtk.fi/publ/foregsatlas/maps/Water/w_icpms_i_edit.pdf
I note that most, but not all, of the areas variously proposed as the source of the VM are not deficient in iodine in the soil so there was probably sufficient iodine in the food stuffs in these areas. The areas of low iodine are southern Portugal and the adjacent part of Spain, southern Holland, the area of Austria immediately adjacent to Switzerland, and central southern Germany. Much of the the soil and water is deficient in iodine in Eastern Europe. There are no iodine deficient areas in either France or Great Britain, and only a very small part of Italy is iodine deficient (the area immediately adjacent to the Swiss-Austrian borders). I think that Portugal and Spain can be ruled out because cruciferous vegetables are not a big feature of Iberian food and this was probably the case in the 15th Century. I don’t seem to remember southern Holland being mentioned in relation to the VM but perhaps there might have been enough salted/dried fish in the 15th Century diet of southern Holland to reverse the probable iodine deficiency in the crops (does anyone know more?). However, having said that I note that even up to the recent past thyroid problems were not uncommon in Holland due to the deficiency of winter vegetables and consequent heavy consumption of cabbage. Bottom line? I think southern Holland has to be considered as a possible source of the VM. Maybe.
We covered it in Oriental med school but never saw an actual case.
Another typical symptom is striations (stretch marks, pinkish) on various places of the body.
The Voynich “nymphs”, eh ? Well that’s creative.
Nick, seeing as it’s been a long time since a crazy voynich theory or commentary has surprised me I have to ask, is there any chance you might put together a ‘best of’ list of the strangest voynich theories?
The obsession and insanity surrounding the voynich manuscript could make a great book itself but would end up skewering so many people whose only crime has been convincing themselves of some outlandish ideas.
Cushing’s syndrome, my arse! Can’t you see it? sweet Ethel’s little lovelies are all up the duff, just as they were supposed to be portrayed; certainly no signs of iodine deficiency or other health issues, by the look of their rosey red, ‘Lily’ of the valley, Irish cheeks.
OK. Let’s start again. Are there any examples of pot bellied, skinny limbed nymphs in other 15th Century manuscripts? Maybe there are, but I haven’t seem them. If similar figures are common then my hypothesis is destroyed, and that is fine by me. Hypothesis testing is the scientific method at work. If there aren’t any similar figures in other 15th Century manuscripts then surely this is an important point that should be investigated? If there are some, but they are uncommon, then these examples could possibly tell us something about the VM? Yes? No?
I didn’t mean to imply that the Voynich nymphs were suffering from Cushing’s disease. There is no known way a whole population could could suffer from Cushing’s disease but hypothyroidism can mimic the effect seen with the Voynich nymphs. Hypothyroidism can cause pot bellies and muscle wasting and, as I have indicated, it is possible that whole populations could have suffered from hypothyroidism in the past.
Piltdown Man was a very successful fraud. It gained credibility by ensnaring the great Jesuit; Pierre Theilhard (de Chardin) by allowing him to “find” a tooth “belonging” to the manufactured skull. Later, Theilhard would help with the discovery of “Peking Man” but all these specimens vanished during the Japanese invasion. It was not a good start for someone attempting to convince the Vatican of the reality of human evolution; all his books were banned from publication during his lifetime
The argument about Hominid evolution continues and every new specimen changes the discourse at a monthly rate.But, then again, the Voynich is just as volatile.
Option 1: An epidemic of an extremely rare endocrine disease affected all the artist’s models.
Option 2: The artist wasn’t good at drawing human figures.
I know which I’d put my money on, especially as I don’t see any reason to think the artist was using models.
As far as I can recall my own comment, I seem to recall that women in some societies preferred to give birth while in water — and that newborns were brought to the surface as soon as the woman’s placenta was torn…..
I can’t remember if Cushings disease can be passed through generations. Perhaps dietary constrictions can lead to other congenital conditions.
Less beans, less fatty foods, more green leafy vegetables (and carrots & beets). Still there is a vital element for healthy living : Milk (and small portions of the animals which produce the milk : cows and sheep .
bd
Byron: From memory, f72v1 isn’t displaying any outward symptoms of the Cushing’s syndrome. What HE is exhibiting however, is a nice set of wedding tackle, to the exclusion of any delicate feminine parts. In fact, if that little pot bellied nymph ahead of him, doesn’t hurry along now, she’s at risk of doing harm to her unborn fetus.
Ken,
Option 1: No, not Cushing’s disease but something that makes the population look Cushingoid. A local iodine deficiency (food, soil and water) coupled with a goitrogenic diet such as a heavy reliance on cabbage and turnips, particularly during winter months. The consequent hypothyroid symptoms make population look Cushingoid. During the food shortages in the Netherlands during WW2 it was noted that the incidence of thyroid disorders increased markedly because cabbage constituted a higher percentage of the (restricted) diet.
Option 2: Yes, entirely possible. Probable in fact since the rest of the drawings demonstrate that the artist didn’t have any skill. But this does not disprove my hypothesis it just makes it less likely. My hypothesis suggests that Holland should be considered as the source of the VM. I note that all of the human figures in the VM look to be blonde rather than brunette, so maybe Holland it is?
Byron wrote: “OK. Let’s start again. Are there any examples of pot bellied, skinny limbed nymphs in other 15th Century manuscripts? Maybe there are, but I haven’t seem them.”
The VMS drawings are less idealized than most. The first time I saw the VMS, I thought the nymphs might have been drawn by a woman rather than a man for this very reason. More than 90% of manuscripts were written and illustrated by men and even some of those done by women follow traditional formulae because that’s what patrons wanted, so the majority of manuscripts don’t depict “average” women, they depict “desirable” women.
It’s not much different these days—idealized body types. A very high proportion of models are not the norm—many of the women are 5’11” and taller, and if they are shorter, they are unusually thin and look taller. Plus, there are many transgender and cross-dressing men (who are taller, with thinner hips and thinner flatter waistlines than women) in the female-clothing modeling industry.
After a couple of weeks of looking at the VMS, I was not so sure it was drawn by a woman, it could also have been done by a man with a more clinical (rather than artistic) eye (e.g., a gynecologist), someone who might not idealize the bodies as much as would be done if aesthetics were the primary concern.
.
Many woman are shaped like VMS nymphs but they hide it with girdles and padded bras and cosmetic surgery. When I was in university, I took a couple of life-drawing courses (nude models). We had a new model every week and none of them had the body types we see in ads.
Women looked even more like VMS nymphs when they were almost continually pregnant (between 12 and 16 children was not uncommon). The VMS was created before Photoshop, breast implants, and liposuction. In the U.S. alone, there are a quarter million liposuction surgeries per year, so what we see is not how people are born.
The VMS nymphs are not a particularly unusual body type, but it is uncommon to see pregnant-looking (or recently post-partum) women in illustrations due to societal preferences. Pregnant women were “confined” (hidden away). Social mores lean toward pretty faces, thin hips and waistlines, and breasts that are 4″ higher than is anatomically correct (look at medieval drawings, a high proportion have breasts growing out of their collar-bones rather than out of their chests).
I’ve been collecting samples of medieval body-type drawings for years and only a small proportion are drawn the same as the VMS nymphs, but they do exist.
Byron wrote: … My hypothesis suggests that Holland should be considered as the source of the VM. I note that all of the human figures in the VM look to be blonde rather than brunette, so maybe Holland it is?”
Why Holland? I know there are plenty of blondes in Holland, I’ve traveled there, but Europe was full of blondes in the Middle Ages. There was wave after wave of Scandinavians migrating south, usually through Finland, Denmark, and Saxony. There were significant Scandinavian colonies in Burgundy, the Alps, the Tirol, Lombardy, Spain, southern Italy, Russia, a few of the Greek islands, even north Africa (and, of course, Iceland and the U.K.).
Byron: Yup, they all surely gotta be little pot bellied virginal, iodine deprived, Dutch milk maids; with all them golden locks. Absolutely no way they could be Slavs, Nords, Arians or Bohemian Czechs; not to mention the lost Kalash children of Pakistan, the Ruskies or a dozen other races not known for their blonde trusses, nor inclination to putting on a pound or two in season…J.K. Petersen: And so do sugar plum fairies, last I heard.
Must have been a few Balts with blonde tresses I guess. And I’ve heard it’s true that Dutch girls are only blonde on top and not the Netherlands.
Maybe you should first consider the ideal of beauty where has prevailed in the Middle Ages. Well-padded women stood for health, prosperity and security.
Today’s ideal image of a woman was not created until the end of 1900. The advertising did the rest.
I think of many paintings here, or known by Ruben’s women.
I remember in Tibet, many years ago, the semi-fossilized deposits of salt that were traded over the Himalayan passes, being Iodine deficient, led to mental disorders;or non-development; I was told. There certainly seemed no physical aberration.I don’t think the Voynich illuminations have anything to do with this ;at all.
Michael, it is called congenital cretinism and it was common in many places in the world up until the recent past (ever wondered why it is called “iodised salt”?). It is a development defect in utero caused by the mother being deficient in iodine (so the mother is probably hypothyroid). In Australia Tasmania and Gippsland were cretinism hot spots in the past until the State Governments legislated that bakers were required to use iodised salt in bread dough. Hypothyroidism would occur in children and adults in the areas where cretinism occurs.
Oh, and I forgot. A noted feature of hypothyroidism is scanty hair. I seem to remember that previously it has been noted that the dozen or so male figures in the VM are strangely beardless. And the nymphs seem to be deficient in the Netherlands. Still sure that hypothyroidism isn’t involved?
Cretin seems to be a French word, derived from the archaic Swiss alpine Romansch or vulgar Latin equivalent crestin, or conversely, a mildly derogitory local ‘pijin’ slang word for Christian. What I’m now wondering is, was there ever any mention of some early glyphic form of that language, prior to its unfortunate Romanization, sometime in the immediate post medieval period. If by chance our pot bellied young ladies were undergoing spa treatment for an iodine deficiency, as Byron fairly suggests, then a standout equivalent, local Canton glyph for the specific condition, could therefore serve as a means to a possible lead in for part translation of the VM text; could it not. A little out of my depth of course but more educated minds, might give the idea some advanced consideration.
Somewhere in B-408 (aka:Voynich mss) one can find a handwritten\hand-drawn image which looks like a huge blimp which the ladies seem to be holding above their heads — solanacea ? A squash-like vegetable which can ease the pangs of childbirth ?
Another folio in B-408 indicates that same vegetable was burned to create a sedative smoke which the injured men could inhale to ease the pain.
bd
cretin — another way of calling someone an ‘idiot’ . Hmm — I’ll look up (from which language) the word ‘cretin” evolved.
Ennyway (Mis-Pelling, and all) I thoroughly enjoy Mr-Pelling’s puzzles, which keep me almost as fascinated as the stuff Mr. Sander(s}on produces for our perusal .
bdid1dr: Being nice to me deserves something in return, so here’s a lttle something which may interest you BD and the JC twins…I was just perusing some old notes of Tom Spande, who has been doing research on the Karesh hill-tribe people of the Indus Valley, relative to their possible use of buffalo velum for writing…Then lo and behold, I accidently hit upon another intersting tribe, though much closer to home for you and your other Nahuatl non conspiratorial advocates. These are an ancient off-shoot of the native American Crete Nation known as the Kashites and it is said of them, that they fled possible persecution at the hands of the dastardly Azteks or similar warlike peoples, in the years 1300 to 1400. (modern era). Re-establishing to Nth Georgian mountainous regions in safe isolated seclusion, they used a system of writing not dissimilar to that known to Mesoamericans in the period before their conversion to Christianity and Latinised script…Unlike their warlike ex-neighbours down south who used fig bark papyrus for paper, our Kashite folk developed their own fine parchment velum from the hides of American bison (buffalo) calves. A sophisticated peace loving people, they got on uncommonly well with the later in-coming British settlers, more particularly with their then military Charge-de-Affairs, General Oglethorpe who became an avid collector and translator of Kashite writings…All of the original material was lost due to the passage of time and conflict, with it our potential for related scholastic pursuit, its last known place of known existence, being with the Georgia State Assembly prior to the Revolutionary War, circa. 1770s…I’m going to leave y’all hanging at this point, for I’m not at all sure that this be of interest; just to add that my yarn has an interesting aftermath and the real possibilty of an historically important outcome from quite unexpected quarters…Cheers js
bdid1dr: Creek as in Crick or Native American; not Crete as in quasi Greek. No offence intended to any of these, once and still proud Nations. js