Help me with a sentence from a story

[avin1980]

One morning, a doctor examined Johnsy and took her temperature. Then he spoke
with Sue in another room.
"She has one chance in -- let us say ten," he said. "And that chance is for her to want to live. Your friend has made up her mind that she is not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind?"
"She -- she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples in Italy some day," said Sue.
"Paint?" said the doctor. "Bosh! Has she anything on her mind worth thinking twice -- a man for example?"
"A man?" said Sue. "Is a man worth -- but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind."
"I will do all that science can do," said the doctor. "But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages
at her funeral, I take away fifty percent from the curative power of medicines."
After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she went to Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling ragtime.


I have been confused over the sentence colored with red. What on earth does the doctor mean?

 

[bhaisahab]

One morning, a doctor examined Johnsy and took her temperature. Then he spoke
with Sue in another room.
"She has one chance in -- let us say ten," he said. "And that chance is for her to want to live. Your friend has made up her mind that she is not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind?"
"She -- she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples in Italy some day," said Sue.
"Paint?" said the doctor. "Bosh! Has she anything on her mind worth thinking twice -- a man for example?"
"A man?" said Sue. "Is a man worth -- but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind."
"I will do all that science can do," said the doctor. "But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages
at her funeral, I take away fifty percent from the curative power of medicines."
After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she went to Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling ragtime.


I have been confused over the sentence colored with red. What on earth does the doctor mean?

He means that when a patient is so convinced that they are going to die that they are thinking about the arrangements for their own funeral, he calculates that he is fifty percent less likely to be able to cure them.

 

[avin1980]

Get it. Thank you:up: