Leonardo Da Vinci on Medicine and Doctors

What did Leonardo Da Vinci think of medicine? Recently, I found out. His words make interesting reading.

In his Notebooks, the following remark is to be found: "Strive to preserve your health, and in this you will better succeed in proportion as you keep clear of the physicians, for their drugs are a kind of alchemy concerning which there are no fewer books than there are medicines."

Now, medicine in his time was a different affair to what it is now. It was only just beginning to turn away from the Ancient writings and start to learn from the world, for itself. Yet, I feel his view is still relevant. His advice that health is to be found far from the reach of Doctors and that the implication that contact with them is harmful, holds more truth, even today, than perhaps we are willing to admit.

Leonardo Da Vinci seems to have kept to his own advice and lived a long life, for his time, dying at the age of 67. Average life expectancy at birth in the 16th century was only 35 years, so Leonardo did rather well.

I just thought you might find this particular wise man's thoughts on medicine, of interest. I did.

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