"THE FUTURE OF THE PHYSICIAN. There is now no profession which would
admit of such an enhancement as that of the physician; that is, after
the spiritual physicians the so called pastors, are no longer allowed to
practise their conjuring tricks to public applause, and a cultured
person gets out of their way. The highest mental development of a
physician has not yet been reached, even if he understands the best and
newest methods, is practised in them, and knows how to draw those rapid
conclusions from effects to causes for which the diagnostics are
celebrated; besides this, he must possess a gift of eloquence that
adapts itself to every individual and draws his heart out of his body; a
manliness, the sight of which alone drives away all despondency (the
canker of all sick people), the tact and suppleness of a diplomatist in
negotiations between such as have need of joy for their recovery and
such as, for reasons of health, must (and can) give joy; the acuteness
of a detective and an attorney to divine the secrets of a soul without
betraying them, in short, a good physician now has need of all the
artifices and artistic privileges of every other professional
class. Thus equipped, he is then ready to be a benefactor to the whole
of society, by increasing good works, mental joys and fertility, by
preventing evil thoughts, projects and villainies (the evil source of
which is so often the belly), by the restoration of a mental and
physical aristocracy (as a maker and hinderer of marriages), by
judiciously checking all so-called soul torments and pricks of
conscience. Thus from a "medicine man "he becomes a saviour, and yet
need work no miracle, neither is he obliged to let himself be
crucified."
Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human (1878)
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