A Doctor tends a dying patient telling him that all his symptoms are natural and normal. The patient complains that he is ready to die of good symptoms.
A death-bed flattery is the worst of treacheries.
L’Estrange version
Pray sir how d’ye find your self? says the Dr. to his patient. Why truly, says the patient; I have had a violent sweat. Oh the best sign in the world quoth the Dr. And then a little while after he is at it again, with a Pray how d’ye find your body? Alas, says the t’other, I have just now such a terrible fit of horror and shaking upon me! Why this is all as it should be, says the physician, it shews a mighty strength of nature. And then he comes over him a third time with the same question again; why I am all swell’d says t’other, as if I had a dropsy; Best of all quoth the doctor, and goes his way. Soon after this comes one of the sick man’s friends to him with the same question, how he felt himselfe; why truly so well, says he, that I’m e’en ready to dye, of I know not how many good signs and tokens.
Moral
A death-bed flattery is the worst of treacheries.
Gherardo Image from 1480
Aegrotus a Medico Interrogatus
Aegrotus quidam, quonam modo se haberet a medico interrogatus, se praeter modum sudasse respondit. Tum medicus id bonum esse adfirmavit. Rursus autem de morbi statu ab eodem interrogatus, “Febrili,” inquit ille, “frigore captus, vehementi nervorum motu convulsus sum.” “Euge, bonum et istud est,” medicus inquit. Cum autem tertio rogaretur, “Sum,” ait aegrotus, “urinae profluvio quam maxime debilitatus.” Ac medicus, “Bonum hoc est etiam,” tunc quoque respondit. Demum vero, cum ipsum familiaris quidam quomodo se haberet interrogasset, “Ego, amice,” ait, “nimia bonorum copia oppressus iamiam pereo.”
Perry #170