Many thanks to Catherine Ruane for this discovery…
Per Wikipedia,
There are instances where the same common word appears up to three times in a row. Words that differ by only one letter also repeat with unusual frequency, causing single-substitution alphabet decipherings to yield babble-like text. In 1962, cryptanalyst Elizebeth Friedman described such attempts as "doomed to utter frustration.”…. The first section of the book is almost certainly herbal, but attempts have failed to identify the plants… The basins and tubes in the balneological section are sometimes interpreted as implying a connection to alchemy, yet they bear little obvious resemblance to the alchemical equipment of the period.”
In other words, what appears to be a delightful and willful puzzle, created solely to frustrate and mystify. I approve.
Let’s just say the only way this makes sense is if each string of characters represents a single letter or sound, not a word….
Also WTF is going on in this hot tub:
