<msDescription>contains a description of a single identifiable manuscript or manuscript part
Attributes:
typespecifies the type of manuscript being described, for example as 'diploma', 'codex' etc.
Datatype: CDATA
Values: Typology to be defined
Default: #IMPLIED
statusspecifies the compositional status of a manuscript or manuscript part.
Datatype: (uni|compo|frag|def|unknown)
Legal values:
uniunitary: the manuscript is a complete entity which exists as a single unit.
compocomposite: the manuscript is a complete entity comprising multiple units of different origin.
fragfragmentary: a leaf, a part of a leaf, or a manuscript from which the majority of leaves are missing.
defdefective: a ms from which a minority of the leaves are missing.
unknownunknown or unstated.
Default: 'uni'
Example
<msDescription>
<msIdentifier>
<city>Oxford</city>
<repository>Bodleian Library</repository>
<idNo type="Bod">MS Poet. Rawl. D. 169.</idNo></msIdentifier>
<msSummary>
<author>Geoffrey Chaucer</author>
<title>The Canterbury Tales</title>
<origDate>1345</origDate>
<origPlace>Surbiton</origPlace>
</msSummary>
</msDescription>
Declaration
<!ELEMENT msDescription  - -  (msIdentifier, msHeading?,
                                  msContents?, 
                                  physDesc?,    history?, 
                                  additional?,  msPart*)>
<!ATTLIST	msDescription	%a.global;
        type    CDATA           #IMPLIED
	status	CDATA		'unknown'>
See further1. Introduction

Appendix A Reference Documentation for Elements and Classes