VMS Help HELP, /MESSAGE, Parameter  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

 search-string

    Specifies a message identifier or one or more words from a
    message's text. By default, HELP/MESSAGE displays a description
    of the message produced by the last executed command (that is,
    the message corresponding to the value currently stored in the
    CLI symbol $STATUS).

    The Help Message utility (MSGHLP) operates using the following
    conventions:

    o  Words containing fewer than three alphanumeric characters are
       ignored.

    o  Words can be specified in any order.

       You can minimize search time by specifying the most unusual
       word first.

    o  Nonalphanumeric characters are ignored in the search.
       Exceptions are the percent sign (%) and hyphen (-) when
       they prefix a message. Therefore, you can paste a full
       message into the search string, provided you include these
       special characters and delete any variables (such as file
       names) that were inserted into the message.

       If Help Message fails to find a pasted message in the database,
       submit the command again and omit the leading special character,
       facility, and severity. Some common messages are documented as
       "shared" messages rather than facility-specific messages.

    o  Help Message matches all words that begin with the characters
       specified in the search string. Use /WORD_MATCH=WHOLE_WORD to
       specify that only whole words be matched.