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THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY
releases the skin until he is filled with blood.") Many of them, to get a fee, will give physic to
every one that comes, when there is no cause, and they do so irritare silentem morbum, as
Heurnius complains, stir up a silent disease, as it often falleth out, which by good counsel, good
advice alone, might have been happily composed, or by rectification of those six non-natural
things otherwise cured. This is Naturæ bellum inferre, to oppugn nature, and to make a strong
body weak. Arnoldus in his 8 and 11 Aphorisms gives cautions against, and expressly forbiddeth
it. "A wise physician will not give physic, but upon necessity, and first try medicinal diet, before
he proceed to medicinal cure." In another place he laughs those men to scorn, that think longis
syrupis expugnare dæmones et animi phantasmata, they can purge fantastical imaginations and
the devil by physic. Another caution is, that they proceed upon good grounds, if so be there be
need of physic, and not mistake the disease; they are often deceived by the similitude of
symptoms, saith Heurnius, and I could give instance in many consultations, wherein they have
prescribed opposite physic. Sometimes they go too perfunctorily to work, in not prescribing a
just course of physic: To stir up the humour, and not to purge it, doth often more harm than good.
Montanus consil. 30. inveighs against such perturbations, "that purge to the halves, tire nature,
and molest the body to no purpose." 'Tis a crabbed humour to purge, and as Laurentius calls this
disease, the reproach of physicians: Bessardus, flagellum medicorum, their lash; and for that
cause, more carefully to be respected. Though the patient be averse, saith Laurentius, desire help,
and refuse it again, though he neglect his own health, it behoves a good physician not to leave
him helpless. But most part they offend in that other extreme, they prescribe too much physic,
and tire out their bodies with continual potions, to no purpose. Aetius tetrabib. 2. 2. ser. cap. 90.
will have them by all means therefore "to give some respite to nature," to leave off now and then;
and Laelius a Fonte Eugubinus in his consultations, found it (as he there witnesseth) often
verified by experience, "that after a deal of physic to no purpose, left to themselves, they have
recovered." 'Tis that which Nic. Piso, Donatus Altomarus, still inculcate, dare requiem naturæ,
to give nature rest.
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