The Anatomy of Melancholy

SUBSECTION 2. Concerning the patient.

Once these precautions have been carefully observed, and we have found a skilful, honest physician to our liking, all his efforts will come to nothing if his patient will not cooperate and accept his guidance. The patient must observe and maintain several necessary practices. First, he must not be too miserly with his money, think that he spends too much on himself, or endanger his health to save expense.

When the people of Abdera sent for Hippocrates, they promised him whatever reward he wanted: all the gold they had; if the entire city were gold, he should have it. When Naaman the Syrian went to Elisha in Israel to be cured of his leprosy, he took ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of clothing (2 Kings 5:5).

Another requirement is that he should not conceal his trouble out of embarrassment. If anything troubles his mind, let him disclose it freely:

“False shame hides the untreated sores of fools.”

By concealing them he does himself great harm and falls into worse trouble. He must be willing to be cured and earnestly desire it. “The wish to recover is part of recovery” (Seneca). To wish for his own health is part of his cure; and he must not put it off too long.

“Whoever has indulged and nourished a sweet evil too late refuses to bear the yoke he has taken on.” And

“You may see people asking for hellebore in vain when their diseased skin is already swelling: meet the illness as it comes.”

He who encourages an evil by indulging it, Too late at last refuses to cast off his yoke. When the skin swells, trying to soothe it With hellebore is useless; confront your disease.

In this way they often ruin themselves; or they do so through ignorance, by failing to recognize their illness and its danger, through contempt, careless neglect, playing down the trouble, miserliness and obstinacy.

The citizens—I cannot now remember of which city—could not bear to hear the news when word came that their enemies were approaching. In the same way, when plague begins in many places and the authorities know it for certain, they order silence and hush it up. But when they see their enemies marching to the gates, ready to catch them unprepared, they begin to fortify and resist when it is too late. When the disease breaks out and can no longer be concealed, then they lament their careless neglect. It is just the same with these patients.

Often, out of prejudice, loathing and dislike of medicine, they would rather die or fare worse than take any of it. Melanchthon calls it “barbarous brutality and deplorable folly” to despise the rules of health and good remedies in this way, and voluntarily bring death and many diseases upon their own heads.

Many others go to the opposite extreme: they spend too freely, are suspicious and anxiously protective of their health, too ready to take medicine on every slight occasion and to magnify every minor ailment, defect or difficulty. If a finger so much as aches, they run, ride or send for a physician—as many gentlewomen do, who are ill without cause, whenever they please, over every trifle or slight dissatisfaction. When he arrives, they make it worse than it is by exaggerating what is not there.