[
408a]
themselves good
fighting-men and practised medicine as I described it? Don't you
remember
1 that in the case of
Menelaus too from the wound that Pandarus inflicted “‘They sucked the blood, and soothing
simples sprinkled?’”
Hom. Il.
4.2182 But what he was to eat or drink
thereafter they no more prescribed than for Eurypylus, taking it for granted
that the remedies sufficed to heal men who before their wounds were healthy
and temperate in diet
[
408b]
even if they did
happen for the nonce to drink a posset; but they thought that the life of a
man constitutionally sickly and intemperate was of no use to himself or
others, and that the art of medicine should not be for such nor should they
be given treatment even if they were richer than Midas.
3” “Very ingenious fellows,”
he said, “you make out these sons of Asclepius to
be.”
“'Tis
fitting,” said I; “and yet in disregard of our
principles the tragedians and Pindar
4 affirm that Asclepius, though he was the son of Apollo, was
bribed by gold
[
408c]
to heal a man already at
the point of death, and that for this cause he was struck by the lightning.
But we in accordance with the aforesaid principles
5 refuse to believe both
statements, but if he was the son of a god he was not avaricious, we will
insist, and if he was greedy of gain he was not the son of a god.”
“That much,” said he, “is most certainly true.
But what have you to say to this, Socrates, must we not have good physicians
in our city? And they would be the most likely to be good who had treated
the greatest number of healthy and diseased men,
[
408d]
and so good judges would be those who had associated
with all sorts and conditions of men.” “Most assuredly I
want them good,” I said; “but do you know whom I regard
as such?” “I'll know if you tell,
6” he said.
“Well, I will try,” said I. “You, however,
have put unlike cases in one question.” “How
so?” said he. “Physicians, it is true,” I
said, “would prove most skilled if, from childhood up, in addition
to learning the principles of the art they had familiarized themselves with
the greatest possible number of the most sickly bodies,
[
408e]
and if they themselves had suffered all diseases and
were not of very healthy constitution. For you see they do not treat the
body by the body.
7 If they did, it would not be allowable for their bodies
to be or to have been in evil condition. But they treat the body with the
mind—and it is not competent for a mind that is or has been evil
to treat anything well.” “Right,” he said.
“But a judge, mark you, my friend,