The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

88 THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBR^US.
"How is the child? and how old is he?" The nobleman
replied, "The child is well, but at present he is
"only seven days old." And the physician said to
him, "What manner of understanding hath he?" And
the nobleman answered, "Didst thou not hear me tell
"the king that he is only seven days old? Why dost thou
"enquire of me concerning his intelligence?" The physician
said to him, "The child, whose looks are keen
"and whose crying is little, evidently hath under-
"standing."
CCCLXIII. A certain man who had once been a
painter left off painting and became a physician. And
when it was said to him, "Why hast thou done this?"
he replied, "The errors [made] in painting [all] eyes
"see and scrutinize; but the mistakes of the healing art
"the ground covereth."
CCCLXIV. Another physician was asked concerning
[the use of] a certain laxative drug, and he replied,
"It is [like] an arrow which is cast into the belly in
"the darkness. Now, if it falleth upon something which
"is effete and it expelleth it, then healing followeth its
"use; but if it doth not fall upon something effete, it
"must necessarily fall upon something which is in a
"healthy condition, and then it will do harm and cause
"disease."
CCCLXV. Another physician on being asked concerning
a certain laxative drug, said, "It is like soap,
"which although it cleanseth also destroyeth things,
"especially the weak and the old."
CCCLXVL Another physician when consulted by a
certain man because his food did not digest in his
stomach, said to him, "Eat it when it hath already
"been digested," that is to say, "Cook it well."