Tap the page, move to the top or bottom edge, swipe down, or press Tab to reveal reading controls. Use the arrow keys or swipe sideways to turn pages.
SUBSECT. 2. Concerning the Patient.
When these precedent cautions are accurately kept, and that we have now got a skilfull, an honest Physician to our minde, if his patient will not be conformable, and content to be ruled by him, all his endevours will come to no good end. Many things are necessarily to be observed and continued on the patients behalf; First that he be not too niggardly miserable of his purse, or think it too much he bestows upon himself, and to save charges endanger his health.
The Abderites, when they sent for Hippocrates, promised him what reward he would, all the gold they had, if all the city were gold he should have it. Naaman the Syrian, when he went into Israel to Elisha to be cured of his leprosy, took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand peeces of gold, and ten change of rayments, (2 Kings 5.5.)
Another thing is, that out of bashfulnes he do not conceal his grief if ought trouble his minde, let him freely disclose it,
Stultorum incurata pudor malus ulcera celat.
by that means he procures to himself much mischief, and runs into a greater inconvenience: He must be willing to be cured, and earnestly desire it. Pars sanitatis velle sanari fuit. (Seneca) ’Tis a part of his cure to wish his own health; and not to defer it too long.
Qui blandiendo dulce nutrivit malum, Sero recusat ferre quod subiit jugum. Et
Helleborum frustra cum jam cutis ægra tumebit, Poscentes videas; venienti occurrite morbo.
He that by cherishing a mischief doth provoke, Too late at last refuseth to cast off his yoke. When the skin swels, to seek it to appease With Hellebor, is vain; meet your disease.
by this means many times, or through their ignorance in not taking notice of their grievance and danger of it, contempt, supine negligence, extenuation, wretchedness and peevishness; they undo themselves.
The Citizens, I know not of what City, now, when rumor was brought their enemies were coming, could not abide to hear it: and when the plague begins in many places and they certainly know it, they command silence and hush it up; but after they see their foes now marching to their gates, and ready to surprize them, they begin to fortifie & resist when ’tis too late; when the sickness breaks out and can be no longer concealed, then they lament their supine negligence: ’tis no otherwise with these men.
And often out of a prejudice, a loathing & distaste of Physick, they had rather dy, or do worse, then take any of it. Barbarous immanity (Melancthon termes it) and folly to be deplored, so to contemn the precepts of health, good remedies, & voluntarily to pull death, and many maladies upon their own heads.
Though many again are in that other extreme too profuse, suspicious, and jealous of their health, too apt to take physick on every small occasion, to aggravate every slender passion, imperfection, impediment: if their finger do but ake, run, ride, send for a physician, as many Gentlewoman do, that are sick, without a cause, even when they will themselves, upon every toy or small discontent, and when he comes, they make it worse then it is, by amplifying that which is not.
Hier. Cappivaccius sets it down as a common fault of all melancholy persons, to say their symptomes are greater then they are, to help themselves. And which Mercurialis notes, consil. 53. to be more troublesome to their Physicians, then other ordinary patients, that they may have change of physick.
A third thing to be required in a Patient, is confidence, to be of good chear, and have sure hope that his Physician can help him. Damascen the Arabian, requires likewise in the Physician himself, that he be confident he can cure him, otherwise his physick will not be effectuall, and promise withall that he will certainly help him, make him beleeve so at least.
Galeottus gives this reason, because the forme of health is contained in the Physicians minde, and as Galen holds, confidence and hope do more good then physick; he cures most in whom most are confident. Axiochus sick almost to death, at the very sight of Socrates recovered his former health. Paracelsus assignes it for an only cause, why Hippocrates was so fortunate in his cures, not for any extraordinary skill he had; but because the common people had a most strong conceipt of his worth.
To this of confidence we may adde perseverance, obedience and constancie, not to change his Physician, or dislike him upon every toy; for he that so doth (saith Ianus Damascen) or consults with many, falls into many errours; or he that useth many medicines. It was a chief caveat of Seneca to his friend Lucilius, that he should not alter his Physician, or prescribed physick: Nothing hinders health more; a wound can never be cured that hath severall plasters.
Crato consil. 186. taxeth all melancholy persons of this fault: ’Tis proper to them, if things fall not out to their minde, and that they have not present ease, to seek another, and another: (as they do commonly that have sore eyes) twenty one after another, and they still promise all to cure them, try a thousand remedies; and by this means they increase their malady, make it most dangerous and difficult to be cured. They try many (saith Montanus) and profit by none:
and for this cause consil. 24. he injoyns his patient before he take him in hand, perseverance and sufferance, for in such a small time no great matter can be effected, and upon that condition he will administer physick, otherwise all his endeavour and counsell would be to small purpose. And in his 31. counsell for a notable Matron, he tells her if she will be cured, she must be of a most abiding patience, faithfull obedience, and singular perseverance; if she remit, or despair, she can expect or hope for no good success.