Meaning & Analysis
The proverb draws a direct comparison between wealth and 'rheum'—a watery bodily discharge associated with illness (like a cold or eye infection). In early medical belief, rheum was thought to settle in the weakest parts of the body. Thus, the proverb literally states that wealth, like a sickness, tends to accumulate in the most vulnerable or feeble individuals.
Insights
The Arbitrariness of Fortune
The proverb suggests that the distribution of wealth is arbitrary and not based on merit. Like an ailment, it randomly 'falls' upon individuals, often targeting those who are 'weak' in intellect or character, echoing the sentiment that fools are often lucky.
Wealth as a Corrupting Sickness
Wealth is depicted not as a blessing but as a corrupting influence, akin to a disease. It preys on existing vulnerabilities ('weakest parts'), implying that those who acquire it are often morally or ethically ill-equipped to handle it, leading to their decay.
Social and Economic Dysfunction
The saying functions as a sharp social commentary, implying that the 'body' of society is unhealthy. Wealth concentrates in its 'weakest'—or most corrupt and undeserving—members, indicating a systemic dysfunction rather than a fair allocation of resources.
Historical Medical Metaphor
The proverb's power derives from its pre-modern medical metaphor. 'Rheum' (a discharge from the eyes or nose) was understood in humoral theory as a symptom of imbalance, where excess fluid settled in a predisposed or weakened body part. Framing wealth this way casts it not as a sign of health or merit, but as a symptom of a systemic sickness that afflicts the morally or intellectually 'weak'.
Psychological Consolation
This proverb serves as a psychological justification for the unequal distribution of wealth. By associating riches with weakness and foolishness (as in the related proverb, 'Fools have fortune'), it offers a comforting narrative that those who lack wealth are superior in other, more important, virtues like intelligence or moral strength.
Critique of Meritocracy
As a piece of social critique, the proverb attacks the very foundation of meritocracy. It suggests that the economic body is dysfunctional, channeling resources not to the strong and deserving, but to the most vulnerable or corrupt parts of the system, implying that fortune is arbitrary and unjust.
Rhetorical Devices
Simile
The proverb is built on a direct comparison using 'like', which makes the abstract concept of wealth tangible and frames it within the negative, visceral context of bodily illness.
Medical Metaphor
The entire expression functions as a medical metaphor, using the outdated concept of 'rheum' to diagnose the accumulation of wealth as a pathological symptom rather than a sign of success.
Irony
A sharp irony is created by contrasting wealth, which is universally seen as a symbol of power and strength, with 'rheum' and 'weakness'. This inversion of expectation delivers the proverb's critical punch.
Transcription
Quotations
*Agreeable to which is this other Proverb, Fools have Fortune.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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