282 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



In the inquiry of diseases, they do abandon the cures of 

 inquisitio many, some as in their nature incurable, and others 

 U MorbTsin. as P ast tne period of cure ; so that Sylla and the 

 sanabiiibus. triumvirs never proscribed so many men to die, as 

 they do by their ignorant edicts ; whereof numbers do 

 escape with less difficulty than they did in the Roman pro- 

 scriptions. Therefore I will not doubt to note as a 

 deficience, that they inquire not the perfect cures of many 

 diseases, or extremities of diseases, but pronouncing them 

 v incurable do enact a law of neglect, and exempt ignorance 

 from discredit. 



Nay further, I esteem it the office of a physician not only 

 to restore health, but to mitigate pain and dolors ; 



DeEuthan- .9 ." 



asia ex- and not only when such mitigation may conduce 

 to recovery, but when it may serve to make a fair 

 and easy passage : for it is no small felicity which Augustus 

 Caesar was wont to wish to himself, that same Euthanasia ; 

 and which was specially noted in the death of Antoninus 

 Pius, whose death was after the fashion and semblance of a 

 kindly and pleasant sleep. So it is written of Epicurus, 

 that after his disease was judged desperate, he drowned his 

 stomach and senses with a large draught and ingurgitation 

 of wine ; whereupon the epigram was made, Hinc stygias 

 ebrius hausit aquas ; he was not sober enough to taste any 

 bitterness of the Stygian water. But the physicians con- 

 trariwise do make a kind of scruple and religion to stay 

 with the patient after the disease is deplored ; whereas, in 

 my judgment, they ought both to enquire the skill and to 

 give the attendances for the facilitating and assuaging of 

 the pains and agonies of death. 



In the consideration of the Cures of diseases, I find a 

 deficience in the receipts of propriety respecting 



Medicinae r r , . f , J , r . . 



Expert- the particular cures of diseases : for the physicians 

 mental*. haye f rustrate d tne fruit of tradition and experi- 

 ence by their magistralities, in adding and taking out and 

 changing quid pro quo in their receipts, at their pleasures; 

 commanding so over the medicine as the medicine cannot 

 command over the disease. For except it be treacle and 

 mithridatum, and of late diascordium, and a few more, they 



