['La médecine c'est guérir parfois, soulager souvent, consoler toujours'; in search of the origins of an aphorism].
The aphorism 'La médecine c'est guérir parfois, soulager souvent, consoler toujours' is quoted rather often in the medical world. Several sources state that these words were first voiced by the famous French surgeon Ambroise Paré (1510-1590). However, further investigation suggests otherwise. It is more than likely an old saying that has possibly been roaming through medicine for centuries, but the origins of which have been lost.
de Groof
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AP
D005602:France; D013502:General Surgery / Q000266:history; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D008092:Literature, Medieval / Q000266:history*; D008513:Medicine in Literature