Editing Voynich manuscript (section)

=== Illustrations ===
[[File:Voynich manuscript bathtub2 example 78r cropped.jpg|thumb|A detail from the [[Balneology|balneological]] section of the manuscript]]
[[File:Voynich Manuscript (50) detail ((dragon)).jpg|thumb|upright|right|Detail of page 50, ''f25v''; resembling a dragon]]
[[File:Voynich-86-1006231.jpg|thumb|upright|Detail of page 158, ''f86r6''; the castle]]
Because the text cannot be read, the manuscript is conventionally divided into sections based on its illustrations. Most of the manuscript forms six different sections, each typified by illustrations with different styles and supposed subject matter<ref name="Schmeh" /> except for the last section, in which the only drawings are small stars in the margin. The conventional sections are:

* '''Herbal, 112 folios:''' Each page displays one or two plants and a few paragraphs of text, a format typical of European [[herbal]]s of the time. Some parts of these drawings are larger and cleaner copies of sketches seen in the "pharmaceutical" section. None of the plants depicted are unambiguously identifiable.<ref name="MS 408" /><ref name=VIB>{{cite web |last=Schwerdtfeger |first=Elias |year=2004 |title=Voynich Information Browser |url=http://voynich.freie-literatur.de/index.php?show=overview |access-date=11 June 2016|archive-date=26 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726165051/http://voynich.freie-literatur.de/index.php?show=overview}}</ref>
* '''Astronomical, 21 folios:''' Contains circular diagrams suggestive of [[astronomy]] or [[astrology]], some of them with suns, moons, and stars. One series of 12 diagrams depicts conventional symbols for the [[zodiac]]al constellations (two fish for [[Pisces (constellation)|Pisces]], a bull for [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]], a hunter with crossbow for [[Sagittarius (constellation)|Sagittarius]], etc.). Each of these has 30 female figures arranged in two or more concentric bands. Most of the females are at least partly nude, and each holds what appears to be a labelled star or is shown with the star attached to either arm by what could be a tether or cord of some kind. The last two pages of this section were lost ([[Aquarius (constellation)|Aquarius]] and [[Capricornus]], roughly February and January), while [[Aries (constellation)|Aries]] and Taurus are split into four paired diagrams with 15 women and 15 stars each. Some of these diagrams are on fold-out pages.<ref name="MS 408" /><ref name=VIB />
* '''Balneological, 20 folios:''' A dense, continuous text interspersed with drawings, mostly showing small nude women, some wearing crowns, bathing in pools or tubs connected by an elaborate network of pipes. The bifolio consists of folios 78 (verso) and 81 (recto); it forms an integrated design, with water flowing from one folio to the other.<ref name=voynich.nu_origin /><ref name=VIB />
* '''Cosmological, 13 folios:''' More circular diagrams, but they are of an obscure nature. This section also has foldouts; one of them spans six pages, commonly called the Rosettes folio, and contains a map or diagram with nine "islands" or "rosettes" connected by "[[causeway]]s" and containing castles, as well as what might be a volcano.<ref name="MS 408" /><ref name=VIB /><ref name=Zandbergen-rosettes>{{cite web |last=Zandbergen |first=René |date=17 May 2016 |title=Rosettes folio |url=http://www.voynich.nu/q14/index.html#fRos |access-date=9 June 2016|archive-date=17 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817020007/http://www.voynich.nu/q14/index.html#fRos |url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''Pharmaceutical, 34 folios:''' Many labelled drawings of isolated plant parts (roots, leaves, etc.), objects resembling [[apothecary]] jars, ranging in style from the mundane to the fantastical, and a few text paragraphs.<ref name="MS 408" /><ref name=VIB />
* '''Recipes, 22 folios:''' Full pages of text broken into many short paragraphs, each marked with a star in the left margin.<ref name="MS 408" /><ref name=VIB />

Five folios contain only text, and at least 14 folios (28 pages) are missing from the manuscript.<ref name=VIB />