the essays of montaigne, v13-第12章

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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　scandal
upon　the　art　of　medicine；　and；　on　the　contrary；　the　glory　will　be　great
if　he　happen　to　have　success；　whereas；　when　there　are　many；　they　at　every
turn　bring　a　disrepute　upon　their　calling；　forasmuch　as　they　oftener　do
hurt　than　good。　　They　ought　to　be　satisfied　with　the　perpetual
disagreement　which　is　found　in　the　opinions　of　the　principal　masters　and
ancient　authors　of　this　science；　which　is　only　known　to　men　well　read；
without　discovering　to　the　vulgar　the　controversies　and　various　judgments
which　they　still　nourish　and　continue　amongst　themselves。

Will　you　have　one　example　of　the　ancient　controversy　in　physic？
Herophilus　lodges　the　original　cause　of　all　diseases　in　the　humours；
Erasistratus；　in　the　blood　of　the　arteries；　Asclepiades；　in　the　invisible
atoms　of　the　pores；　Alcmaeon；　in　the　exuberance　or　defect　of　our　bodily
strength；　Diocles；　in　the　inequality　of　the　elements　of　which　the　body　is
composed；　and　in　the　quality　of　the　air　we　breathe；　Strato；　in　the
abundance；　crudity；　and　corruption　of　the　nourishment　we　take；　and
Hippocrates　lodges　it　in　the　spirits。　　There　is　a　certain　friend　of
theirs；＇Celsus；　Preface　to　the　First　Book。＇　whom　they　know　better
than　I；　who　declares　upon　this　subject；　〃that　the　most　important　science
in　practice　amongst　us；　as　that　which　is　intrusted　with　our　health　and
conservation；　is；　by　ill　luck；　the　most　uncertain；　the　most　perplexed；
and　agitated　with　the　greatest　mutations。〃　　There　is　no　great　danger　in
our　mistaking　the　height　of　the　sun；　or　the　fraction　of　some　astronomical
supputation；　but　here；　where　our　whole　being　is　concerned；　'tis　not
wisdom　to　abandon　ourselves　to　the　mercy　of　the　agitation　of　so　many
contrary　winds。

Before　the　Peloponnesian　war　there　was　no　great　talk　of　this　science。
Hippocrates　brought　it　into　repute；　whatever　he　established；　Chrysippus
overthrew；　after　that；　Erasistratus；　Aristotle's　grandson；　overthrew　what
Chrysippus　had　written；　after　these；　the　Empirics　started　up；　who　took　a
quite　contrary　way　to　the　ancients　in　the　management　of　this　art；　when
the　credit　of　these　began　a　little　to　decay；　Herophilus　set　another　sort
of　practice　on　foot；　which　Asclepiades　in　turn　stood　up　against；　and
overthrew；　then；　in　their　turn；　the　opinions　first　of　Themiso；　and　then
of　Musa；　and　after　that　those　of　Vectius　Valens；　a　physician　famous
through　the　intelligence　he　had　with　Messalina；　came　in　vogue；　the　empire
of　physic　in　Nero's　time　was　established　in　Thessalus；　who　abolished　and
condemned　all　that　had　been　held　till　his　time；　this　man's　doctrine　was
refuted　by　Crinas　of　Marseilles；　who　first　brought　all　medicinal
operations　under　the　Ephemerides　and　motions　of　the　stars；　and　reduced
eating；　sleeping；　and　drinking　to　hours　that　were　most　pleasing　to
Mercury　and　the　moon；　his　authority　was　soon　after　supplanted　by
Charinus；　a　physician　of　the　same　city　of　Marseilles；　a　man　who　not　only
controverted　all　the　ancient　methods　of　physic；　but　moreover　the　usage　of
hot　baths；　that　had　been　generally　and　for　so　many　ages　in　common　use；　he
made　men　bathe　in　cold　water；　even　in　winter；　and　plunged　his　sick
patients　in　the　natural　waters　of　streams。　　No　Roman　till　Pliny's　time
had　ever　vouchsafed　to　practise　physic；　that　office　was　only　performed
by　Greeks　and　foreigners；　as　'tis　now　amongst　us　French；　by　those　who
sputter　Latin；　for；　as　a　very　great　physician　says；　we　do　not　easily
accept　the　medicine　we　understand；　no　more　than　we　do　the　drugs　we
ourselves　gather。　　If　the　nations　whence　we　fetch　our　guaiacum；
sarsaparilla；　and　China　wood；　have　physicians；　how　great　a　value　must　we
imagine；　by　the　same　recommendation　of　strangeness；　rarity；　and　dear
purchase；　do　they　set　upon　our　cabbage　and　parsley？　　for　who　would　dare
to　contemn　things　so　far　fetched；　and　sought　out　at　the　hazard　of　so　long
and　dangerous　a　voyage？

Since　these　ancient　mutations　in　physic；　there　have　been　infinite　others
down　to　our　own　times；　and；　for　the　most　part；　mutations　entire　and
universal；　as　those；　for　example；　produced　by　Paracelsus；　Fioravanti；　and
Argentier；　for　they；　as　I　am　told；　not　only　alter　one　recipe；　but　the
whole　contexture　and　rules　of　the　body　of　physic；　accusing　all　others　of
ignorance　and　imposition　who　have　practised　before　them。　　At　this　rate；
in　what　a　condition　the　poor　patient　must　be；　I　leave　you　to　judge。

If　we　were　even　assured　that；　when　they　make　a　mistake；　that　mistake　of
theirs　would　do　us　no　harm；　though　it　did　us　no　good；　it　were　a
reasonable　bargain　to　venture　the　making　ourselves　better　without　any
danger　of　being　made　worse。　　AEsop　tells　a　story；　that　one　who　had　bought
a　Morisco　slave；　believing　that　his　black　complexion　had　arrived　by
accident　and　the　ill　usage　of　his　former　master；　caused　him　to　enter　with
great　care　into　a　course　of　baths　and　potions：　it　happened　that　the　Moor
was　nothing　amended　in　his　tawny　complexion；　but　he　wholly　lost　his
former　health。　　How　often　do　we　see　physicians　impute　the　death　of　their
patients　to　one　another？　　I　remember　that　some　years　ago　there　was　an
epidemical　disease；　very　dangerous　and　for　the　most　part　mortal；　that
raged　in　the　towns　about　us：　the　storm　being　over　which　had　swept　away　an
infinite　number　of　men；　one　of　the　most　famous　physicians　of　all　the
country；　presently　after　published　a　book　upon　that　subject；　wherein；
upon　better　thoughts；　he　confesses　that　the　letting　blood　in　that　disease
was　the　principal　cause　of　so　many　mishaps。　　Moreover；　their　authors　hold
that　there　is　no　physic　that　has　not　something　hurtful　in　it。　　And　if
even　those　of　the　best　operation　in　some　measure　offend　us；　what　must
those　do　that　are　totally　misapplied？　　For　my　own　part；　though　there　were
nothing　else　in　the　case；　I　am　of　opinion；　that　to　those　who　loathe　the
taste　of　physic；　it　must　needs　be　a　dangerous　and　prejudicial　endeavour
to　force　it　down　at　so　incommodious　a　time；　and　with　so　much　aversion；
and　believe　that　it　marvellously　distempers　a　sick　person　at　a　time　when
he　has　so　much　need　of　repose。　　And　more　over；　if　we　but　consider　the
occasions　upon　which　they　usually　ground　the　cause　of　our　diseases；　they
are　so　light　and　nice；　that　I　thence　conclude　a　very　little　error　in　the
dispensation　of　their　drugs　may　do　a　great　deal　of　mischief。　　Now；　if　the
mistake　of　a　physician　be　so　dangerous；　we　are　in　but　a　scurvy　condition；
for　it　is　almost　impossible　but　he　must　often　fall　into　those　mistakes：
he　had　need　of　too　many　parts；　considerations；　and　circumstances；　rightly
to　level　his　design：　he　must　know　the　sick　person's　complexion；　his
temperament；　his　humours；　inclinations；　actions；　nay；　his　very　thoughts
and　imaginations；　he　must　be　assured　of　the　external　circumstances；　of
the　nature　of　the　place；　the　quality　of　the　air　and　season；　the　situation
of　the　planets；　and　their　influences：　he　must　know　in　the　disease；　the
causes；　prognostics；　affections；　and　critical　days；　in　the　drugs；　the
weight；　the　power　of　working；　the　country；　figure；　age；　and　dispensation；
and　he　must　know　how　rightly　to　proportion　and　mix　them　together；　to
beget　a　just　and　perfect　symmetry；　wherein　if　there　be　the　least　error；
if　amongst　so　many　springs　there　be　but　any　one　out　of　order；　'tis　enough
to　destroy　us。　　God　knows　with　how　great　difficulty　most　of　these　things
are　to　be　understood：　for　（for　example）　how　shall　the　physician　find　out
the　true　sign　of　the　disease；　every　disease　being　capable　of　an　infinite
number　of　indications？　　How　many　doubts　and　controversies　have　they
amongst　themselves　upon　the　interpretation　of　urines？　otherwise；　whence
should　the　continual　debates　we　see　amongst　them　about　the　knowledge　of
the　disease　proceed？　how　could　we　excuse　the　error　they　so　oft　fall　into；
of　taking　fox　for　marten？　　In　the　diseases　I　have　had；　though　there　were
ever　so　little　difficulty　in　the　case；　I　never　found　three　of　one
opinion：　which　I　instance；　because　I　love　to　introduce　examples　wherein　I
am　myself　concerned。

A　gentleman　at　Paris　was　lately　cut　for　the　stone　by　order　of　the
physicians；　in　whose　bladder；　being　accordingly　so　cut；　there　was　found
no　more　stone　than　in　the　palm　of　his　hand；　and　in　the　same　place　a
bishop；　who　was　my　particular　friend；　having　been　earnestly　pressed　by
the　majority　of　the　physicians　whom　he　consulted；　to　suffer　himself　to　be
cut；　to　which　also；　upon　their　word；　I　used　my　interest　to　persuade　him；
when　he　was　dead　and　opened；　it　appeared　that　he　had　no　malady　but　in　the
kidneys。　　They　are　least　excusable　for　any　error　in　this　disease；　by
reason　that　it　is　in　some　sort　palpable；　and　'tis　thence　that　I　conclude
surgery　to　be　much　more　certain；　by　reason　that　it　sees　and　feels　what　it
does；　and　so　goes　less　upon　conjecture；　whereas　the　physicians　have　no
'speculum　matricis'；　by　which　to　examine　our　brains；　lungs；　and　liver。

Even　the　very　promises　of　physic　are　incredible　in　themselves；　for；
having　to　provide　against　divers　and　contrary　accidents　that　often
afflict　us　at　one　and　the　same　time；　and　that　have　almost　a　necessary
relation；　as　the　heat　of　the　liver　and　the　coldness　of　the　stomach；　they
will　needs　persuade　us；　that　of　their　ingredients　one　will　heat　the
stomach　and　the　other　will　cool　the　liver：　one　has　its　commission　to　go
directly　to　the　kidneys；　nay；　even　to　the　bladder；　without　scattering　its
operations　by　the　way；　and　is　to　retain　its　power　and　virtue　through　all
those　turns　and　meanders；　even　to　the　place　to　the　service　of　which　it　is
designed；　by　its　own　occult　property　this　will　dry…the　brain；　that　will
moisten　the　lungs。　　Of　all　this　bundle　of　things　having　mixed　up　a
potion；　is　it　not　a　kind　of　madness　to　imagine　or　to　hope　that　these
differing　virtues　should　separate　themselves　from　one　another　in　this
mixture　and　confusion；　to　perform　so　many　various　errands？　　I　should　very
much　fear　that　they　would　either　lose　or　change　their　tickets；　and
disturb　one　another's　quarters。　　And　who　can　imagine　but　that；　in　this
liquid　confusion；　these　faculties　must　corrupt；　confound；　and　spoil　one
another？　　And　is　not　the　danger　still　more　when　the　making　up　of　this
medicine　is　entrusted　to　the　skill　and　fidelity　of　still　another；　to
whose　mercy　we　again　abandon　our　lives？

As　we　have　doublet　and　breeches…makers；　distinct　trades；　to　clothe　us；
and　are　so　much　the　better　fitted；　seeing　that　each　of　them　meddles　only
with　his　own　business；　and　has　less　to　trouble　his　head　with　than　the
tailor　who　undertakes　all；　and　as　in　matter　of　diet；　great　persons；　for
their　better　convenience；　and　to　the　end　they　may　be　better　served；　have
cooks　for　the　different　offices；　this　for　soups　and　potages；　that　for
roasting；　instead　of　which　if　one　cook　should　undertake　the　whole
service；　he　could　not　so　well　perform　it；　so　also　as　to　the　cure　of　our
maladies。　　The　Egyptians　had　reason　to　reject　this　general　trade　of
physician；　and　to　divide　the　profession：　to　each　disease；　to　each　part　of
the　body；　its　particular　workman；　for　that　part　was　more　properly　and
with　less　confusion　cared　for；　seeing　the　person　looked　to　nothing　else。
Ours　are　not　aware　that　he