e should not appear
haughty, nor covetous, but should greet with kindly, modest demeanor
those who are present, and then seating himself near the sick man accept
the drink which is offered him (_sic_) and praise in a few words the
beauty of the neighborhood, the situation of the house, and the
well-known generosity of the family,--if it should seem to him suitable
to do so. The patient should be put at his ease before the examination
begins and the pulse should be felt deliberately and carefully. The
fingers should be kept on the pulse at least until the hundredth beat in
order to judge its kind and character; the friends standing round will
be all the more impressed because of the delay and the physician's words
will be received with just that much more attention."

The old physician evidently realized very well how much influence on the
patient's mind meant for the course of the disease. For instance, he
recommends that the patient should be asked to confess and receive the
sacraments of the Church before the doctor sees him, for if mention is
afterwards made of this the patient may believe that it is because the
doctor thinks that there is no hope for him. For the purpose of
producing an effect upon the patient's mind, the old physician does not
hesitate even to suggest the taking advantage of every possible source
of information, so as to seem to know all about the case. "On the way to
see the sick person he [the physician] should question the messenger
who has summoned him upon the circumstances and the conditions of the
illness of the patient; then, if not able to make any positive diagnosis
after examining the pulse and the urine, he will at least excite the
patient's astonishment by his accurate knowledge of the symptoms of the
disease and thus win his confidence."

At the end of these preliminary instructions there is a rather
diplomatic--to say the least--bit of advice that might perhaps to a
puritanic conscience seem more politic than truthful. Since the old
professor insists so much on not disturbing the patient's mind by a bad
prognosis or any hint of it, and since even some exaggeration of what he
might think to be the serious outlook of the case to friends would only
lead to greater care of the patient, there is probably much more
justification for his suggestion than might be thought at first glance.
He says, "When the doctor quits the patient he should promise him that
he will get quite well again, but