427. A Prayer for Healing

61:4 When a person would go to let blood (which people used to do for medical reasons) and before one eats or drinks something for medicinal purposes or does something else intended for healing, he should first recite this short prayer: "May it be Your will, my G-d and G-d of my fathers, that this will serve as a cure for me as You are the One Who heals for no fee." If the thing he is eating or drinking for its healing abiities also requires a bracha, the prayer should be recited first, as there should be no interruption between the bracha and eating. After letting blood, one would recite the bracha Rofeh cholim, that G-d is the One Who heals the sick. (Mishnah Brurah 230:7 says that while it appears that one should say this bracha mentioning G-d’s Name and His Kingship, he has not actually seen this done in practice.)

61:5 When a person sneezes, his friend should say, ''To your health.'' The one who sneezed should then reply, ‘‘May you be blessed.'' Afterwards, he should recite Genesis 49:18, ''I hope for Your salvation, Hashem." The reason one responds to his friend before reciting the verse is because one who prays for the needs of a friend will have his own needs taken care of first.