WIST Quotations

Howell, James -- Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία]: Proverbs, or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, “Proverbs in Italian” (1659) [compiler]

Dave — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:45:53 +0000

Never make thy Physician thy heir.

[Non far ma medico tuo herede.]

James Howell (c. 1594–1666) Welsh historian, writer, aphorist
Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία]: Proverbs, or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, “Proverbs in Italian” (1659) [compiler]

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr. -- Speech (1859-03-10), Valedictory Address, Harvard University School of Medicine

Dave — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:43:49 +0000

You can never be too cautious in your prognosis, in the view of the great uncertainty of the course of any disease not long watched, and the many unexpected turns it may take.
I think I am not the first to utter the following caution : —
Beware how you take away hope from any human being. Nothing is clearer than that the merciful Creator intends to blind most people as they pass down into the dark valley. Without very good reasons, temporal or spiritual, we should not interfere with his kind arrangements. It is the height of cruelty and the extreme of impertinence to tell your patient he must die, except you are sure that he wishes to know it, or that there is some particular cause for his knowing it. I should be especially unwilling to tell a child that it could not recover; if the theologians think it necessary, let them take the responsibility. God leads it by the hand to the edge of the precipice in happy unconsciousness, and I would not open its eyes to what he wisely conceals.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–1894) American poet, essayist, scholar
Speech (1859-03-10), Valedictory Address, Harvard University School of Medicine

Sometimes paraphrased, "Beware how you take away hope from another human being."

Collected in The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 58, No. 8 (1858-03-25).

Matheson, Richard -- Star Trek, 1×05 “The Enemy Within” (1966-10-06)

Dave — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:55:55 +0000

MCCOY: He’s dead, Jim.

Richard Matheson (1926–2013) American author and screenwriter
Star Trek, 1×05 “The Enemy Within” (1966-10-06)

First use of the phrase that became a trademark for DeForest Kelley's Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. In this first instance, it's applied to an alien animal that has been run through the malfunctioning transporter to (lethally) re-integrate its "good" and "evil" halves.

Matheson did the initial screenplay and multiple revisions, and gets the writing credit for the episode, but John Black and Gene Roddenberry also "polished" the script, so the precise provenance of the line which, with variations, showed up in multiple subsequent episodes, is unknown.

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1737 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 16:55:23 +0000

Don’t misinform your Doctor nor your Lawyer.

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1737 ed.)

Herbert, George -- Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 1008 (1640 ed.)

Dave — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:37:57 +0000

Saint Luke was a Saint and a Physitian, yet is dead.

George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh priest, orator, poet.
Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 1008 (1640 ed.)

Rogers, Will -- Column (1930-07-13), “Weekly Article”

Dave — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:11:27 +0000

All Doctors should make enough out of those who are well able to pay, to be able to do all work for the poor free. That is one thing that a poor person should never be even expected to pay for is medical attention, and not from an organized Charity, but from our best Doctors. But your Doctor bill should be paid like your Income tax, according to what you have. There’s nothing that keeps poor people poor as much as paying Doctor bills.

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist
Column (1930-07-13), “Weekly Article”

Serling, Rod -- Patterns, Introduction (1957)

Dave — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 16:41:56 +0000

And the worst commercial of any, bar none, is the dramatized doctor-pitchman in a white medical coat who juggles test tubes and ponderously exhorts you to do what his “patients” do. Perhaps this is the natural evolution of the old traveling snake-oil shows, but then, at least, the hucksters did sleight of hand and a few buck-and-wings before launching into the pitch.

Rod Serling (1924–1975) American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, narrator
Patterns, Introduction (1957)

Dickinson, Emily -- Poems: Second Series, #30 (1891)

Dave — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 18:32:13 +0000

Faith is a fine invention
For gentlemen who see;
But microscopes are prudent
In an emergency.

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) American poet
Poems: Second Series, #30 (1891)

Beecher, Henry Ward -- Norwood; or, Village Life in New England, Vol. 1, ch. 6 (1867)

Dave — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 19:54:04 +0000

To array a man’s will against his sickness is the supreme art of medicine.

Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887) American clergyman and orator
Norwood; or, Village Life in New England, Vol. 1, ch. 6 (1867)

Dunne, Finley Peter -- (Attributed)

Dave — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:47:05 +0000

I wonder why you can always read a doctor’s bill and you can never read his prescription.

Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936) American humorist and journalist
(Attributed)

Wright, Frank Lloyd -- Lecture (1930-10-02), “To the Young Man in Architecture,” Chicago Art Institute

Dave — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:39:48 +0000

Then go as far away as possible from home to build your first buildings. The physician can bury his mistakes, — but the architect can only advise his client to plant vines.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) American architect, interior designer, writer, educator [b. Frank Lincoln Wright]
Lecture (1930-10-02), “To the Young Man in Architecture,” Chicago Art Institute

Closing pieces of advice, #11. One of two lectures delivered at the Institute. While the lectures took place in 1930, they were collected in book form in 1931, which is usually the year they are cited to. Both were reprinted in Wright, The Future of Architecture (1953).

In an article during the lead-up to that book, "Frank Lloyd Wright Talks of His Art," New York Times (1953-10-04), Wright restated the advice, but turned around:

The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his clients to plant vines -- so they should go as far as possible from home to build their first buildings.

For more discussion of the origins and variations of this quotation, see: Quote Origin: The Architect Can Only Advise His Client to Plant Vines – Quote Investigator®.

Herbert, George -- Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 290 (1640 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:14:00 +0000

Goe not for every griefe to the Physitian, nor for every quarrell to the Lawyer, nor for every thirst to the pot.

George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh priest, orator, poet.
Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 290 (1640 ed.)

Herbert, George -- Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 105 (1640 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:42:32 +0000

Deceive not thy Physitian, Confessor, nor Lawyer.

George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh priest, orator, poet.
Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 105 (1640 ed.)

Watterson, Bill -- Calvin and Hobbes (1990-11-18)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

CALVIN: It’s psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I’ll get a saw.

Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1990-11-18)