A physician can sometimes parry the scythe of death, but has no power over the sand in the hourglass.

Summary

This quote acknowledges the limitations of a physician's abilities. While a doctor might be able to delay or prevent death in certain cases, ultimately they have no control over the natural passage of time. Like the scythe of death, time is an unstoppable force, symbolized by the sand in the hourglass. Regardless of their expertise, doctors must accept the inevitability of mortality and their inability to stop its progression completely.

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