The Physician

Death to The Physician

Her arczt thut euch selbir rat Mit ewir meisterlichen tat Ich füre euch czu des todis gesellen Dy mit euch hie tanczen wellen	Mr. Physician, help yourself(1) with your masterly deed. I'm leading you to Death's fellows, who want to dance here with you.

Ich habe myt meynem harnschawen Gesund gemacht man vnd frawen Wer wil nw machen mich gesund Ich byn czu deme tode wund	I have with my urine-watching(2) made man and women sound. Who will now make me sound? I am wounded to death.

Footnotes: (1) (2)

Help yourself . . .: Luke 4,23: And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

The proverb that Luke refers to is probably Aesop's fable about the Quack Frog: »A Frog proclaimed himself a physician. A Fox asked the Frog how he can cure others when he can't cure his own wrinkled appearance. Physician, heal thyself«.

Physician with urine specimen from the dance of death in Lübeck.

Urine-watching . . .: Watching a urine sample was an indispensible part of medieval medical practise. See picture to the right.

Notice, how the doctor in the picture above drops his urine glass to the ground.