the essays of montaigne, v13-第15节

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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　who　provides　for　all；　provides　for　nothing；
and　that　the　entire　government　of　this　microcosm　is　more　than　they　are
able　to　undertake。　　Whilst　they　were　afraid　of　stopping　a　dysentery；　lest
they　should　put　the　patient　into　a　fever；　they　killed　me　a　friend；
＇Estienne　de　la　Boetie。＇　who　was　worth　more　than　the　whole　of　them。
They　counterpoise　their　own　divinations　with　the　present　evils；　and
because　they　will　not　cure　the　brain　to　the　prejudice　of　the　stomach；
they　injure　both　with　their　dissentient　and　tumultuary　drugs。

As　to　the　variety　and　weakness　of　the　rationale　of　this　art；　they　are
more　manifest　in　it　than　in　any　other　art；　aperitive　medicines　are　proper
for　a　man　subject　to　the　stone；　by　reason　that　opening　and　dilating　the
passages　they　help　forward　the　slimy　matter　whereof　gravel　and　stone　are
engendered；　and　convey　that　downward　which　begins　to　harden　and　gather　in
the　reins；　aperitive　things　are　dangerous　for　a　man　subject　to　the　stone；
by　reason　that；　opening　and　dilating　the　passages；　they　help　forward　the
matter　proper　to　create　the　gravel　toward　the　reins；　which　by　their　own
propension　being　apt　to　seize　it；　'tis　not　to　be　imagined　but　that　a
great　deal　of　what　has　been　conveyed　thither　must　remain　behind；
moreover；　if　the　medicine　happen　to　meet　with　anything　too　large　to　be
carried　through　all　the　narrow　passages　it　must　pass　to　be　expelled；　that
obstruction；　whatever　it　is；　being　stirred　by　these　aperitive　things　and
thrown　into　those　narrow　passages；　coming　to　stop　them；　will　occasion　a
certain　and　most　painful　death。　　They　have　the　like　uniformity　in　the
counsels　they　give　us　for　the　regimen　of　life：　it　is　good　to　make　water
often；　for　we　experimentally　see　that；　in　letting　it　lie　long　in　the
bladder；　we　give　it　time　to　settle　the　sediment；　which　will　concrete　into
a　stone；　it　is　good　not　to　make　water　often；　for　the　heavy　excrements　it
carries　along　with　it　will　not　be　voided　without　violence；　as　we　see　by
experience　that　a　torrent　that　runs　with　force　washes　the　ground　it　rolls
over　much　cleaner　than　the　course　of　a　slow　and　tardy　stream；　so；　it　is
good　to　have　often　to　do　with　women；　for　that　opens　the　passages　and
helps　to　evacuate　gravel；　it　is　also　very　ill　to　have　often　to　do　with
women；　because　it　heats；　tires；　and　weakens　the　reins。　　It　is　good　to
bathe　frequently　in　hot　water；　forasmuch　as　that　relaxes　and　mollifies
the　places　where　the　gravel　and　stone　lie；　it　is　also　ill　by　reason　that
this　application　of　external　heat　helps　the　reins　to　bake；　harden；　and
petrify　the　matter　so　disposed。　　For　those　who　are　taking　baths　it　is
most　healthful。　　To　eat　little　at　night；　to　the　end　that　the　waters　they
are　to　drink　the　next　morning　may　have　a　better　operation　upon　an　empty
stomach；　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　better　to　eat　little　at　dinner；　that　it
hinder　not　the　operation　of　the　waters；　while　it　is　not　yet　perfect；　and
not　to　oppress　the　stomach　so　soon　after　the　other　labour；　but　leave　the
office　of　digestion　to　the　night；　which　will　much　better　p