the essays of montaigne, v13-第11章

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more　felicity　and　duration　in　their　own　lives；　that　may　manifest　to　us
some　apparent　effect　of　their　skill？

There　is　not　a　nation　in　the　world　that　has　not　been　many　ages　without
physic；　and　these　the　first　ages；　that　is　to　say；　the　best　and　most
happy；　and　the　tenth　part　of　the　world　knows　nothing　of　it　yet；　many
nations　are　ignorant　of　it　to　this　day；　where　men　live　more　healthful　and
longer　than　we　do　here；　and　even　amongst　us　the　common　people　live　well
enough　without　it。　　The　Romans　were　six　hundred　years　before　they
received　it；　and　after　having　made　trial　of　it；　banished　it　from　the　city
at　the　instance　of　Cato　the　Censor；　who　made　it　appear　how　easy　it　was　to
live　without　it；　having　himself　lived　fourscore　and　five　years；　and　kept
his　wife　alive　to　an　extreme　old　age；　not　without　physic；　but　without　a
physician：　for　everything　that　we　find　to　be　healthful　to　life　may　be
called　physic。　　He　kept　his　family　in　health；　as　Plutarch　says　if　I
mistake　not；　with　hare's　milk；　as　Pliny　reports；　　that　the　Arcadians
cured　all　manner　of　diseases　with　that　of　a　cow；　and　Herodotus　says；　the
Lybians　generally　enjoy　rare　health；　by　a　custom　they　have；　after　their
children　are　arrived　to　four　years　of　age；　to　burn　and　cauterise　the
veins　of　their　head　and　temples；　by　which　means　they　cut　off　all
defluxions　of　rheum　for　their　whole　lives。　　And　the　country　people　of　our
province　make　use　of　nothing；　in　all　sorts　of　distempers；　but　the
strongest　wine　they　can　get；　mixed　with　a　great　deal　of　saffron　and
spice；　and　always　with　the　same　success。

And　to　say　the　truth；　of　all　this　diversity　and　confusion　of
prescriptions；　what　other　end　and　effect　is　there　after　all；　but　to　purge
the　belly？　　which　a　thousand　ordinary　simples　will　do　as　well；　and　I　do
not　know　whether　such　evacuations　be　so　much　to　our　advantage　as　they
pretend；　and　whether　nature　does　not　require　a　residence　of　her
excrements　to　a　certain　proportion；　as　wine　does　of　its　lees　to　keep　it
alive：　you　often　see　healthful　men　fall　into　vomitings　and　fluxes　of　the
belly　by　some　extrinsic　accident；　and　make　a　great　evacuation　of
excrements；　without　any　preceding　need；　or　any　following　benefit；　but
rather　with　hurt　to　their　constitution。　　'Tis　from　the　great　Plato；　that
I　lately　learned；　that　of　three　sorts　of　motions　which　are　natural　to　us；
purging　is　the　worst；　and　that　no　man；　unless　he　be　a　fool；　ought　to　take
anything　to　that　purpose　but　in　the　extremest　necessity。　　Men　disturb　and
irritate　the　disease　by　contrary　oppositions；　it　must　be　the　way　of
living　that　must　gently　dissolve；　and　bring　it　to　its　end。　　The　violent
gripings　and　contest　betwixt　the　drug　and　the　disease　are　ever　to　our
loss；　since　the　combat　is　fought　within　ourselves；　and　that　the　drug　is
an　assistant　not　to　be　trusted；　being　in　its　own　nature　an　enemy　to　our
health；　and　by　trouble　having　only　access　into　our　condition。　　Let　it
alone　a　little；　the　general　order　of　things　that　takes　care　of　fleas　and
moles；　also　takes　care　of　men；　if　they　will　have　the　same　patience　that
fleas　and　moles　have；　to　leave　it　to　itself。　　'Tis　to　much　purpose　we　cry
out　〃Bihore；〃　＇A　term　used　by　the　Languedoc　waggoners　to　hasten　their
horses＇　'tis　a　way　to　make　us　hoarse；　but　not　to　hasten　the　matter。
'Tis　a　proud　and　uncompassionate　order：　our　fears；　our　despair　displease
and　stop　it　from；　instead　of　inviting　it　to；　our　relief；　it　owes　its
course　to　the　disease；　as　well　as　to　health；　and　will　not　suffer　itself
to　be　corrupted　in　favour　of　the　one　to　the　prejudice　of　the　other's
right；　for　it　would　then　fall　into　disorder。　　Let　us；　in　God's　name；
follow　it；　it　leads　those　that　follow；　and　those　who　will　not　follow；　it
drags　along；　both　their　fury　and　physic　together。　　Order　a　purge　for　your
brain；　it　will　there　be　much　better　employed　than　upon　your　stomach。

One　asking　a　Lacedaemonian　what　had　made　him　live　so　long；　he　made
answer；　〃the　ignorance　of　physic〃；　and　the　Emperor　Adrian　continually
exclaimed　as　he　was　dying；　that　the　crowd　of　physicians　had　killed　him。
A　bad　wrestler　turned　physician：　〃Courage；〃　says　Diogenes　to　him；　〃thou
hast　done　well；　for　now　thou　will　throw　those　who　have　formerly　thrown
thee。〃　　But　they　have　this　advantage；　according　to　Nicocles；　that　the　sun
gives　light　to　their　success　and　the　earth　covers　their　failures。　　And；
besides；　they　have　a　very　advantageous　way　of　making　use　of　all　sorts　of
events：　for　what　fortune；　nature；　or　any　other　cause　（of　which　the　number
is　infinite）；　products　of　good　and　healthful　in　us；　it　is　the　privilege
of　physic　to　attribute　to　itself；　all　the　happy　successes　that　happen　to
the　patient；　must　be　thence　derived；　the　accidents　that　have　cured　me；
and　a　thousand　others；　who　do　not　employ　physicians；　physicians　usurp　to
themselves：　and　as　to　ill　accidents；　they　either　absolutely　disown　them；
in　laying　the　fault　upon　the　patient；　by　such　frivolous　reasons　as　they
are　never　at　a　loss　for；　as　〃he　lay　with　his　arms　out　of　bed；〃　or　〃he　was
disturbed　with　the　rattling　of　a　coach：〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Rhedarum　transitus　arcto
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vicorum　inflexu：〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇〃The　passage　of　the　wheels　in　the　narrow
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　turning　of　the　street〃Juvenal；　iii。　236。＇

or　〃somebody　had　set　open　the　casement；〃　or　〃he　had　lain　upon　his　left
side；〃　or　〃he　had　some　disagreeable　fancies　in　his　head〃：　in　sum；　a　word；
a　dream；　or　a　look；　seems　to　them　excuse　sufficient　wherewith　to　palliate
their　own　errors：　or；　if　they　so　please；　they　even　make　use　of　our
growing　worse；　and　do　their　business　in　this　way　which　can　never　fail
them：　which　is　by　buzzing　us　in　the　ear；　when　the　disease　is　more
inflamed　by　their　medicaments；　that　it　had　been　much　worse　but　for　those
remedies；　he；　whom　from　an　ordinary　cold　they　have　thrown　into　a　double
tertian…ague；　had　but　for　them　been　in　a　continued　fever。　　They　do　not
much　care　what　mischief　they　do；　since　it　turns　to　their　own　profit。
In　earnest；　they　have　reason　to　require　a　very　favourable　belief　from
their　patients；　and；　indeed；　it　ought　to　be　a　very　easy　one；　to　swallow
things　so　hard　to　be　believed。　　Plato　said　very　well；　that　physicians
were　the　only　men　who　might　lie　at　pleasure；　since　our　health　depends
upon　the　vanity　and　falsity　of　their　promises。

AEsop；　a　most　excellent　author；　and　of　whom　few　men　discover　all　the
graces；　pleasantly　represents　to　us　the　tyrannical　authority　physicians
usurp　over　poor　creatures；　weakened　and　subdued　by　sickness　and　fear；
when　he　tells　us；　that　a　sick　person；　being　asked　by　his　physician　what
operation　he　found　of　the　potion　he　had　given　him：　〃I　have　sweated　very
much；〃　says　the　sick　man。　　〃That's　good；〃　says　the　physician。　　Another
time；　having　asked　how　he　felt　himself　after　his　physic：　〃I　have　been
very　cold；　and　have　had　a　great　shivering　upon　me；〃　said　he。　　〃That　is
good；〃　replied　the　physician。　　After　the　third　potion；　he　asked　him　again
how　he　did：　〃Why；　I　find　myself　swollen　and　puffed　up；〃　said　he；　〃as　if
I　had　a　dropsy。〃　　That　is　very　well；〃　said　the　physician。　　One　of　his
servants　coming　presently　after　to　inquire　how　he　felt　himself；　〃Truly；
friend；〃　said　he；　〃with　being　too　well　I　am　about　to　die。〃

There　was　a　more　just　law　in　Egypt；　by　which　the　physician；　for　the　three
first　days；　was　to　take　charge　of　his　patient　at　the　patient's　own　risk
and　cost；　but；　those　three　days　being　past；　it　was　to　be　at　his　own。　　For
what　reason　is　it　that　their　patron；　AEsculapius；　should　be　struck　with
thunder　for　restoring　Hippolitus　from　death　to　life：

　　　　　　　　　〃Nam　Pater　omnipotens；　aliquem　indignatus　ab　umbris
　　　　　　　　　　Mortalem　infernis　ad　lumina　surgere　vitae；
　　　　　　　　　　Ipse　repertorem　medicinae　talis；　et　artis
　　　　　　　　　　Fulmine　Phoebigenam　Stygias　detrusit　ad　undas；〃

　　　　　＇〃Then　the　Almighty　Father；　offended　that　any　mortal　should　rise　to
　　　　　the　light　of　life　from　the　infernal　shades；　struck　the　son　of
　　　　　Phoebus　with　his　forked　lightning　to　the　Stygian　lake。〃
　　　　　AEneid；　vii。　770。＇

and　his　followers　be　pardoned；　who　send　so　many　souls　from　life　to　death？
A　physician；　boasting　to　Nicocles　that　his　art　was　of　great　authority：
〃It　is　so；　indeed；〃　said　Nicocles；　〃that　can　with　impunity　kill　so　many
people。〃

As　to　what　remains；　had　I　been　of　their　counsel；　I　would　have　rendered　my
discipline　more　sacred　and　mysterious；　they　begun　well；　but　they　have　not
ended　so。　　It　was　a　good　beginning　to　make　gods　and　demons　the　authors　of
their　science；　and　to　have　used　a　peculiar　way　of　speaking　and　writing；
notwithstanding　that　philosophy　concludes　it　folly　to　persuade　a　man　to
his　own　good　by　an　unintelligible　way：　　〃Ut　si　quis　medicus　imperet；　ut
sumat：〃


　　　　　〃Terrigenam；　herbigradam；　domiportam；　sanguine　cassam。〃

　　　　　＇〃Describing　it　by　the　epithets　of　an　animal　trailing　with　its　slime
　　　　　over　the　herbage；　without　blood　or　bones；　and　carrying　its　house
　　　　　upon　its　back；　meaning　simply　a　snail。〃Coste＇

It　was　a　good　rule　in　their　art；　and　that　accompanies　all　other　vain；
fantastic；　and　supernatural　arts；　that　the　patient's　belief　should
prepossess　them　with　good　hope　and　assurance　of　their　effects　and
operation：　a　rule　they　hold　to　that　degree；　as　to　maintain　that　the　most
inexpert　and　ignorant　physician　is　more　proper　for　a　patient　who　has
confidence　in　him；　than　the　most　learned　and　experienced　whom　he　is　not
so　acquainted　with。　　Nay；　even　the　very　choice　of　most　of　their　drugs　is
in　some　sort　mysterious　and　divine；　the　left　foot　of　a　tortoise；　the
urine　of　a　lizard；　the　dung　of　an　elephant；　the　liver　of　a　mole；　blood
drawn　from　under　the　right　wing　of　a　white　pigeon；　and　for　us　who　have
the　stone　（so　scornfully　they　use　us　in　our　miseries）　the　excrement　of
rats　beaten　to　powder；　and　such　like　trash　and　fooleries　which　rather
carry　a　face　of　magical　enchantment　than　of　any　solid　science。　　I　omit
the　odd　number　of　their　pills；　the　destination　of　certain　days　and　feasts
of　the　year；　the　superstition　of　gathering　their　simples　at　certain
hours；　and　that　so　austere　and　very　wise　countenance　and　carriage　which
Pliny　himself　so　much　derides。　　But　they　have；　as　I　said；　failed　in　that
they　have　not　added　to　this　fine　beginning　the　making　their　meetings　and
consultations　more　religious　and　secret；　where　no　profane　person　should
have　admission；　no　more　than　in　the　secret　ceremonies　of　AEsculapius；　for
by　the　reason　of　this　it　falls　out　that　their　irresolution；　the　weakness
of　their　arguments；　divinations　and　foundations；　the　sharpness　of　their
disputes；　full　of　hatred；　jealousy；　and　self…consideration；　coming　to　be
discovered　by　every　one；　a　man　must　be　marvellously　blind　not　to　see　that
he　runs　a　very　great　hazard　in　their　hands。　　Who　ever　saw　one　physician
approve　of　another's　prescription；　without　taking　something　away；　or
adding　something　to　it？　by　which　they　sufficiently　betray　their　tricks；
and　make　it　manifest　to　us　that　they　therein　more　consider　their　own
reputation；　and　consequently　their　profit；　than　their　patient's　interest。
He　was　a　much　wiser　man　of　their　tribe；　who　of　old　gave　it　as　a　rule；
that　only　one　physician　should　undertake　a　sick　person；　for　if　he　do
nothing　to　purpose；　one　single　man's　default　can　bring　no　great　scand