MONSIEUR DE POURCEAUGNAC
A monologue from the
play by Molière
|
NOTE: This monologue is reprinted
from The Dramatic Works of Molière, Vol. III. Ed.
Charles Heron Wall. London: George Bell & Sons, 1891. |
|
|
1ST PHYSICIAN: Since it is a fact that we cannot cure
any disease without first knowing it perfectly, and that we cannot
know it perfectly without first establishing its exact nature
and its true species by its diagnosis and prognosis, you will
give me leave, you, my senior, to enter upon the consideration
of the disease that is in question, before we think of the therapeutics
and the remedies that we must decide upon in order to effect
a perfect cure. I say then, Sir, if you will allow me, that our
patient here present is unhappily attacked, affected, possessed,
and disordered by that kind of madness which we properly name
hypochondriac melancholy; a very trying kind of madness, and
which requires no less than an Æsculapius deeply versed
in our art like you; you, I say, who have become grey in harness,
as the saying hath it; and through whose hands so much business
of all sorts has passed. I call it hypochondriac melancholy,
to distinguish it from the other two; for the celebrated Galen
establishes and decides in a most learned manner, as is usual
with him, that there are three species of the disease which we
call melancholy, so called, not only by the Latins, but also
by the Greeks; which in this case is worthy of remark: the first,
which arises from a direct disease of the brain; the second,
which proceeds from the whole of the blood, made and rendered
atrabilious; and the third, termed hypochondriac, which is our
case here, and which proceeds from some lower part of the abdomen,
and from the inferior regions, but particularly the spleen; the
heat and inflamation whereof sends up to the brain of our patient
abundance of thick and foul fuliginosities; of which the black
and gross vapours cause deterioration to the functions of the
principal faculty, and cause the disease by which he is manifestly
accused and convicted. In proof of what I say, and as an incontestable
diagnostic of it, you need only consider that great seriousness,
that sadness, accompanied by signs of fearfulness and suspicion--pathognomonic
and particular symptoms of this desease, so well defined by the
divine ancient Hippocrates; that countenance, those red and staring
eyes, that long beard, that habit of body, thin, emaciated, black,
and hairy--signs denoting him greatly affected by the disease
proceeding from a defect in the hypochondria; which disease,
by lapse of time, being naturalised, chronic, habitual, ingrained,
and established within him, might well degenerate either into
monomania, or into phthisis, or into apoplexy, or even into downright
frenzy and raving. All this being taken for granted, since a
disease well-known is a disease half cured, for ignoti nulla
est curatio morbis, it will not be difficult for you to conclude
what are the remedies needed by our patient. First of all, to
remedy this obdurate plethora, and this luxuriant cacochymy throughout
the body, I opine that he should by freely phlebotomised; by
which I mean that there should be frequent and abundant bleedings,
first in the basilic vein, then in the cephalic vein; and if
the disease be obstinate, that even the vein of the forehead
should be opened, and that the orifice be large, so that the
thick blood may issue out; and, at the same time, that he should
be purged, deobstructed, and evacuated by fit and suitable purgatives,
i.e. by chologues and melanogogues. And as the real source of
all this mischief is either a foul and feculent humour or a black
and gross vapour, which obscures, empoisons, and contaminates
the animal spirits, it is proper afterwards that he should have
a bath of pure and clean water, with abundance of whey; to purify,
by the water, all the feculency of the foul humour, and by the
whey to clarify the blackness of the vapour. But, before all
things, I think it desirable to enliven him by pleasant conversations,
by vocal and instrumental music, to which it will not be amiss
to add dancers, that their movements, figures, and agility may
stir up and awaken the sluggishness of his spirits, which occasions
the thickness of his blood from whence the disease proceeds.
These are the remedies I propose, to which may be added many
better ones by you, Sir, my master and senior, according to the
experience, judgment, knowledge and sufficiency that you have
acquired in your art.
MORE
MONOLOGUES BY MOLIÈRE |
