A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries Part 2

Lastly, When Dispensatories were first made, the Apothecaries were really Physicians Servants, and wholy at their command, not in the least intrenching on their business, and the rates of Medicines were reasonable; which superiority over them still continues only in their prescriptions, the forms whereof are always commanding to take this and that, and to mix them, &c. but within these few last years they have set up for themselves, and advanced the rates beyond all reason; and to be sure, the more we teach them by our Books, the more they will trangress in both.

He may receive encouragement from what he discovers, that is more then ordinarily useful, whereas by writing Bills, he soon communicates to the ignorant and lazy, who will neither spend time nor money to advance the Art, but while the one is at work to his great charge, lots of time, much pains and trouble, the others seek by petty tricks and Arts to gain a name, and profit from the industrious. Nay some Mountebanks have been set up by purchasing receipts of the Apothecary or his Servants. And one of them told me, he set up a Quack by selling and commending to him a Medicine he had long kept in his Shop and could not otherwise put off, and that by degrees he made him a famous practiser among the ignorant and poor people. An Act quite contrary to the interest of the Company.

Hence also will arise an emulation amongst Physicians, who shall exceed each other in n.o.ble remedies, and from thence a full and happy improvement of whatsoever G.o.d hath created for the recovery of mans health impaired; for from the Physician alone the advancement of Physic is to be expected. How many simples of unknown properties have been brought into use, to the great comfort of the sick? and many more may be, as also many preparations, both simple and compound, both in the Galenical, and Chymical practice, and by this means the Art will be advanced to its just dignity, now much diminished, dishonoured, and near to be lost by the intrusion of ignorant persons.

Greater respect will be given to such Physicians, as being the immediate instruments of life and health, who will derive unto themselves that which is now given to the Apothecaries, which proceeds chiefly from fear lest they should do the Patient hurt; and so their honour will be doubled, which every Physician looks princ.i.p.ally at; but the Apothecary being not so far concerned, looks chiefly at his own profit, and regards not the Patients charge. For the greater the Patients charge, the greater must needs be the Apothecaries gain; whereas on the contrary, 'tis the Physicians Interest to cure the Patient with the greatest ease.

He may proceed on safely and securely in his well experienced Medicines, having before him not only what he hath prescribed for the same Patient, but for all others in the like Case, and thereby keep in memory what he would have forgot, if his Bill had remained on the Apothecaries File; viz. the Medicines and their success. By means whereof Physicians do not advance their knowledg so far as they might; for how is it possible they should remember the particulars of their Bills writ some days before? and therefore know not how to proceed so well. But the Apothecaries having before them the whole series of Medicines, brag they can do more then the Physicians, and by this means insinuate the same opinion into people.

The Physician will be consulted in the beginning of Diseases, to the safety and little expence of the Patient, who will not go first to the Apothecary, who practiseth on him till the Case is desperate, and then calls in a Physician when 'tis too late; and if he dyes, the Physician must carry away the disgrace alone; but if he recover, the Apothecary if he be so minded, by some trick will share with him in the honour: and by this resort of people to the Apothecaries in beginning of Diseases; we meet with few Cases of easie Cure, but are chiefly made use of in dangerous Diseases, or those of short period, or such as are accompanyed with great pains and torments, to our great and continual anxiety.

The Physicians experience hereby as 'tis surer, so 'twill be greater.

He will make use of no Medicines but the choicest, and when they are in their full vigour, and such as are durable, and after once or twice Tryal of them, will seldom fail in his expected success; which cannot be certainly had without some tryal. For though a man buy the choicest ingredients, viz. Sena, which may appear to the Senses very good, yet he cannot positively say, how well, nor yet what quant.i.ty of it will work, till he hath made use of it. But afterwards he may confidently apply the whole parcel he hath bought to his purpose. The like may be instanced in a crop of Wheat or Barley, which the skillfullest Husband-man cannot tell how they will yield for Bread, or Malt, till he hath used them. Now how is it possible that a Physician can with any certainty make use of several Shops, since there is so great difference in the ingredients? and 'tis certain the same Medicine made by several Apothecaries, shall differ much in colour, smell, and tast, and consequently effect too; which cannot proceed from any other cause then the difference of the ingredients themselves, or by omitting some ingredients, or by subst.i.tuting one thing for another; or by distinct ways of preparing them. The same also may be said of Compositions, much more of Chymical Medicines so much sophisticated, and of so much danger and hazard, if not well prepared, which he cannot discover till he hath seen the effect of them, unless it be such as he makes himself, nor those neither till he hath made some tryal of them.

He will much inlarge Materia Medica, Chymistry and Pharmacy, and discover the grounds of them, and wherein the efficacy of remedies lyes, and thereby lay open a whole Ocean for new discoveries, and by the by observe many useful products and Phenomena of Nature, to the great improvement of his Art, and sound Natural Philosophy, which are not taken notice of by Apothecaries, and their Servants; for all which they have neither will nor skill.

As to the improvement of Medicines, this may be added, by the experimenting Physician, that in distill'd waters he will consider and find which of them will afford any virtue, which only phlegm equivalent but to Conduit-water, which of them will keep long, and in perfection, which soon or in what time decay, and spend them accordingly, and in compound distill'd waters, will find cause to lay aside many simples as nothing conducing, or rather weakning the efficacy of the Medicine designed; whereby much charge and trouble will be spared, and better compositions be made.

He will gain and keep to himself Patients, who have diseases they are unwilling should be known by Apothecaries and their Boys, and all such as have a mind to turn over their File.

The Patient will have better opinion of the Medicines, and confidence in the use or them, and the Physician more satisfied in his Conscience, and better a.s.sured of the success.

He will gain reputation to his Art, by restoring it to its first inst.i.tution and practice, by the Founders and Heroes of Physic.

By constantly practised Medicines he will find out a better method of Cure, and may hereby arrive at the true causes of diseases.

He will observe what Medicines by precipitation or other ways, alter, destroy, or weaken one another, whereby of good ingredients singly used, a bad Composition may be made, and therefore fail in the success expected. Many more things might be here added, which a skillful observer, and versed in the way to make experiments (no easie matter) will daily find, and at present I do not so much as give hints of them, but shall hereafter, as occasion and opportunity require.

He will have more scope to be charitable to the poor, and more civil and obliging to his friends, by curing them gratis, or at small charges.

He need not trouble himself with ways of concealing the use of his Medicines, by setting down no directions in his Bill, but giving them to the Patient, which the Apothecary soon learns; nor with giving some of his own Medicines at a pinch, which if they succeed not, to be sure the Apothecaries will cry down in all places, but will conceal all eminently good successes, as disadvantageous to themselves; nor by placing their Arcana's in the Shops of those Apothecaries they commonly make use of; nor by recommending their Patients to such Apothecaries they intrust their secrets with. For then great complaints are made that the Physicians carry away their Customers, and take away their livelyhood, affirming they are willing to fetch them from the prescribing Doctors Apothecaries. To which I answer, that they do fetch them, but perhaps not always; since I have heard them often say, these secrets were but the Medicines of the London Dispensatory disguised under new names, to the discredit of the Physicians that prescribed them. And I well remember some of them have neglected to fetch from my house, not far from their own, some of my preparations, though they had them gratis, for the fetching; whereby the Patients have suffered, and thought I neglected them, 'till they were rectified by another Visit. Nay one of them told me, he had rather dy with his own Shop-Medicines, then be cured with my Magistrals: much more would he have said of Patients, manifestly preferring his own profit before their lives; a most Unchristian saying!

One singular advantage such a Physician will have, that the slanders of the Apothecaries will appear to be malicious, as being raised against such as act contrary to their profit.

By this means Physicians will unite against the common Enemy, will contribute mutual a.s.sistance, and communicate more freely to one another their practice and remedies; and also the frauds and unlawful practices of the Apothecaries, will conceal the counsels, and act whatsoever may tend to the advance of their Art; and Patients also will discover the Apothecaries censures, and practices against the Physicians and their prescriptions.

Hereby that great interest will decay Apothecaries have in Families for their petty officiousnesses (which Physicians not to displease them have put them upon) these will be taught Nurses, and the a.s.sistants, and which are by some of these as well, certainly more diligently performed then by the Apothecaries.

Hereby the filii Artis, or younger Physicians, will sooner come into a better and more setled practice, and not be beholden to Apothecaries to bring them Patients wherewith they often upbraid them, and glory amongst themselves and to other persons, that they introduced such and such a Physician.

Hereby Chirurgeons will be restored to some of their employment now usurped by the Apothecaries, as leting of blood, applying Leeches, Plasters, Cupping-Gla.s.ses, Syringing and Salivation, wraping up bodies in Cere-Cloaths, &c. which indeed do more properly belong to them then to the Apothecaries; hereby also haply many occasions of quarrel betwixt Physicians and the Apothecaries will cease, each party acting according to his own way.

By this means Pseudochymists, and other Mountebanks mouths and revilings will be stopped, only exclaiming for this, that Physicians make not their own Medicines. But since the publication of these papers I am informed that the said Pseudochymists and Mountebanks rail against me, this Book, and the way propounded, as much as the Apothecaries, though before equal Enemies each to others. So that they have fulfilled the Proverb, of like to like. And no wonder since hereby their Kingdom of darkness is brought to light, and they are obliged to oppose it, as the Copper-Smiths were to revile St. Paul for speaking against the Idol of Diana of the Ephesians, whereby their trade was lost.

And as for the reasonableness of it, that the Physician ought to support himself by all lawful ways and means, and to have praeeminence above those ignorant persons that incroach upon his profession, 'tis confessed by all that have considered the great charge, study, and labour, before he can arrive at any benefit from it; for he must take the chargeable degrees of Batch.e.l.lor, and Master of Arts, Batch.e.l.lor of Physic, and after 14 years standing, the degree of Doctor; besides his bare expences for his maintenance in the University, Charges in Anatomies, knowledg of natural things; Travels abroad, Chymistry, and Experiments; his Library, Habit, his more free way of living in a suitable house, and Attendants, greater Taxes, &c. insomuch that a Doctor of Physic spends more before he comes to practise, then will set up perhaps a dozen Apothecaries in a way of livelihood; and besides, great sums of money before he can put himself in a fitting Equipage: whereas on the contrary, many young men before their time of Apprenticeship is out, provide well for themselves by Quacking; and certainly the Study of Physic, and consequently the knowledge of Nature, must bid farewel to the Universities, if Shops be permitted to make practisers, for such the people will soon create Doctors, which t.i.tle the Apothecary takes upon him, though he understand not the reason of the name, to the great shame of the Universities, and Faculty, when ignorant people shall give, and they challenge the same t.i.tle for nothing, attained by the Physician at a great rate and long study, the vulgar taking Practiser and Doctor to signifie the same thing. And which no persons of knowledg and education do, and perhaps most other persons give them in way of Jeering.

From the handsom support of Physicians these benefits will accrue to the publick, that thereby the honour all Nations yield to the English Physicians will be kept up, who in the late times, when the reputation of the Nation was well neer forfeited abroad, the Physicians then in being, most whereof are now living, and Members of the College, maintained the credit, for learning and value, of this Kingdom, and since his Majesties happy return, some of them have kept up the honour of the Faculty; which manifestly appears by the great esteem Foreigners have of their Books, by often printing them, and translating into Latin what hath been published in English, though they are no where so depressed as in England.

A second benefit to the publick is, that men of competent Estates will breed up their Sons in the Art of Physic, giving them such education as is necessary, and will not vouchsafe to place them out to Apothecaries, though now adays want of learning and degrees are adjudged as needful a qualification for the exercise of Physic, as formerly 'twas for Preaching, and the Shops fit to supply both.

I will conclude this part of my discourse with this observation; that the Laws of England in all their Acts of Parliament, have granted the practice of Physic to Physicians and them alone, and in no clause thereof put in any restraint at all upon them, but every where, either new priviledges, or a confirmation of the old, have been granted, by the said powers. Whereas on the contrary, the Law supposeth cheats in the Apothecaries Shops, and therefore impowers our Censors to destroy and burn what they find bad and corrupt.

The next thing to be treated of, shall be the ways of Apothecaries creeping into practice, and their unfitness thereunto. As to the first, heretofore when they were Members of the Company of Grocers, and dispersed in place, as well as in counsel, they then were wholy subordinate to the Physicians, only keeping in their Shops, and faithfully making the prescriptions they received from the Physicians, and when made, sending them to the Patient by their men (as they still continue to do in Foreign Countries) and not committing the preparation to raw Boys, or Apprentices, which is the true interest of the Patient they should do here likewise. But in process of time, Physicians in acute diseases having taught them somewhat, sent them to visit their Patients, to give them the best account they could of the estate of their health, and effect of their Medicines. And of later years some Physicians took them along with them in their Visits, whereby they acquired a little smattering of diseases, by which means, and their continual officiousness, they insinuated themselves into Families, and by applying (right or wrong) the terms of Art they had learned from the Physicians, they made people believe they had acquired some skill in the Art, and afterwards began to venture a little at practice, and but until these 10 years last past kept themselves within some bounds and limits; but since that time have daily more and more incroached upon our Profession, being a.s.sisted by a greater familiarity of conversation with younger Physicians. And in the Plague time they took upon them the whole Practice of Physic, which ever since they have continued, being much helped also therein by the dispersing of Physicians into places unknown to their Patients, by the Fire, but above all by the burning of the College, by means whereof their Government and view of their Shops have been omitted, insomuch that now they are past all restraint, having insinuated and (as they think) rooted themselves by the aforesaid Artifices, so that there remains now no other real remedy but that proposed.

Now here I shall take occasion in a short digression, to discourse briefly the reason, why in all Ages there have been so many pretenders to Physic, and why some of them have got reputation in the World. One hath been mentioned before, viz. the great charges sick men are put to, caused by the separation of the Physician from the Apothecary. But the princ.i.p.al reason is, the want of knowledge in most persons, both of the materials used, and the grounds for which they are applyed.

Insomuch that there are but few that can judg, and distinguish rightly of either, and no wonder therefore that in their reasonings they commit more absurd mistakes, or Paralogisms then in any other Art whatsoever, and censure Physicians by the success alone. Which my Lord Verulam accounts the great unhappiness both of the States-man and the Physician, both being alike censured by those that know not the bottom and rise of their Actions and Counsels. For how can any man in either make a sound Judgment without a full knowledge of the business it self; and of all the circ.u.mstances thereunto belonging; nor in Physic without the concurrent knowledg of the sick mans habit, disease, cause, remedies, and many other particulars necessary to make a clear judgment upon the success? Yet notwithstanding, many will censure and grumble at the actions of the States-men, though their proceedings have been never so wise, and prudent, and oft-times from muttering and whispering, fall to down-right distast, and mutiny against their Superiors. So that the good success, in State-affairs, of rash and imprudent undertakers, have been extolled and preferred before the wary, and prudent management, and guidance of the soberest and wisest States-men. The same likewise happens between the bold Empiric, and learnedst Physician. But in this way of censuring, the States-man hath this advantage above the Physician, that 'tis possible he may meet with a series of Business so circ.u.mstantiated, as seldom or never to miscarry, especially having a greater power over subordinate persons then Physicians have. But the irreversible statute of Heaven forbids us to expect a constant recovery of our Patients, for 'tis appointed, that all men must die. 'Tis sufficient therefore for us, to employ those remedies G.o.d hath given to the Sons of men, to the utmost vertue the Creator hath endowed them withal: since his eternal decree hath limited their efficacy from making man immortal. Now since (if men judg by the success alone) it cannot be otherwise, but that the most learned Physician, and most sottish Empiric must be thought equal in skill, by those that are not able to make a right judgment and difference betwixt them on other principles. Hence it comes to pa.s.s, that where some ignorant person hath cured accidentally a slight disease, and a Physician hath a Patient dye of an irrecoverable Case, here the Empiric shall be applauded, and the Physician decryed. Nay many will say the disease is the same in both, whereas we daily see most gross mistakes in such opinions, when the Cases differ totally in their Nature, agreeing in one sign only common to both the Cases proposed, nay to many other also. Furthermore, if a Patient dy under an Empirics hand, the friends willingly conceal their Names, lest some discredit should befal them for using such worthless practisers; but if under the hands of a known Physician he shall be sure to be named, and sometimes his attendance falsly fathered on him, when Mountebanks only have been employed: but to besure if an Empiric hath first been made use of, and afterwards an able Physician called in (when all opportunity of doing good was past) and the Patient dy, the Mountebank hath never been mentioned, but the Physician perhaps condemned though he hath done whatsoever could have been thought on, rational in that Case.

Add to the former reasons, the bold and confident brags, and promises of Empirics, that they have cured worse diseases, and will in few hours free them from their maladies, especially where sober Physicians have p.r.o.nounced doubtfully of the event. No wonder that these pleasing promises to persons in danger and distress bring them into employment even with a rejection of the former sober Physician.

Besides, a foolish opinion prevails with some ignorant persons, that they will deal only with such as will undertake the Cure, (that is) contract with them for a sum of money, one half whereof to be payed in hand, and the other the Cure being done, and so are usually cheated of one half of their money; and such people will have nothing to do with such Physicians as will not undertake them in this sence.

Another Stratagem is, to give strange and hard names to their Medicines, such as are Pilulae radiis Solis extractae, and in English is no more then Pills dryed to that consistence by the Sun-Beams, which ignorant people have thought were made of the Sun Beams. Others commend their Extract of the Soul of the Heathen G.o.ds. One sets up with a receipt received from Van Helmonts own hands; Another hath received from a Jew the shining of Moses Face; nay I have heard a Pseudochymist blasphemously brag, he saw in the making of a grand Elixir, the Quintessence of the Trinity in Unity, and infinite other pitiful captivations of silly people, to be seen on every Gate and Post of this City; such as are the Spirit of the Salt of the World, Panchymagogon, and other ten-footed Greek names, and some other Mongrel non-sensical ones compounded of several Languages; promising certain, speedy, and concealed Cure of incurable Diseases.

And no less ridiculous and absurd to considering persons are, their cantings of themselves, wherewith they no less befool, amuse, and beguile the people; as that by long prayer, and seeking of G.o.d, they have had many secrets revealed to them from Heaven. Another by long Travels through Hungary, Poland, &c. hath attained great secrets from Kings and Emperours. Another a Gentleman lately come from Oxford, or Cambridg, Cures the Pox, Running of the Reins, &c. in Capital Letters, at all which what sober man cannot but laugh? Yet such as these are inducements to many to resort to them; moreover some of them are Astrologers, Physiognomers, Fortunetellers, Professors of Palmistry and such other vain Arts; much applauded by the weaker sort of people.

Besides, the former they have their Emissaries, Scouts, and Setters up and down, to cry up the skill And feigned Cures done by them, Nurses, Good-fellows, Midwives, &c. to make up the cry and full noise.

Now it being natural to most people to admire what they understand not, and for Admiration to infer Love, and Love Praise, and Praise the use especially of such things as are set off with high and lofty expressions, it necessarily follows that such persons will cry up, and make use of, those that by these means captivate their understandings, especially their credits being ingaged also; but above all, if they proceed from meaner persons, of whom they are most credulous, having in suspition wiser men, believing the former are not able, and that the wiser are able; and therefore will deceive them. All which appears in some with us cryed up above any Physician that ever was in England, though for pitiful, dangerous, nay sometimes mortal Medicines, whereby great sums of money have been gained in a short time; I shall instance first in Lockyers Pills made of Antimony, discovered to be so by some of my Collegues, and my self, at the first selling of them. A Medicine as ill made as any of that Mineral, and no Physician though meanly versed in Chymistry, but could have excelled it. Yet so great a Vogue this Pill had for some time, that infinite people resorted to him, and purchased them for their lives, both for themselves, and Families, and (as I have heard) for their posterities too. Though a common Chimney in a little time would have made enough of it to have served the whole Nation for some years to come, and that at very small charges. But Experience, the Tutor of too many, hath in a short time brought these Pills into a dis-use, if not a total Oblivion, even amongst the vulgar.

A second cryed up Medicine was Mathews's Pills, made of Opium (to which the virtue of the whole Composition must be attributed) of white h.e.l.lebor Roots, and Oyl of Turpentine, whereto some add Salt of Tartar, which will puzzle the most knowing Naturalist to declare why these should be thus jumbled together; unless to obscure the Opium.

'Tis indeed a very cunning Composition, for by giving rest and ease it may easily decoy people into the use of them, though by long taking of them, diseases become far more uncurable then they are in their own Nature.

A third Universal Medicine was Hughes's Powder, sold by him at 10 s.

the Grain, and 3 l. 10 s. the Dose, made doubtless of Gold and Quicksilver. The tast and weight of it manifestly discover the former to be an ingredient into it, and the effect, viz. Salivation proves the latter to be part of the compound. Besides I have made of these two dissolved, and digested in their peculiar Menstruums, in no long s.p.a.ce of time, a Medicine that had the same effect with his, and in the same Dose, and having a View of his Cabinet left after his Death, containing a large quant.i.ty of the said Powder (being all he left behind him) there was found crude Gold, and Quicksilver in the same Cabinet. Now these three Notorious Universal Medicines were put to sale by most ignorant persons. Add hereunto the forementioned Mr.

De-laun's Pill, whereof I shall say nothing, being mentioned under the Name of the Pilule ex duobus, in the London Dispensitory, though some make them of the Extract of Coloquintida. The last of any Fame with us, were Dr. G.o.ddard's Drops, a good Medicine, but not so universal, and superlative as he would have made the World believe, and was nothing else but what some Physicians many years since enjoyed. I well remember that in the late troubles, a Person then in great Authority, having cryed up this above all the Medicines in the World, a round wager was offered, that the Doctor should not distinguish his own from two others that should be brought him, both which were but Spirit of Harts-horn. But the wager would not be accepted of. Furthermore, that this Medicine of his was Spirit of Harts-horn, some relations plainly argue; One whereof was the following.

A certain person in Norfolk having sent for as much as came to a 11 l.

and dying upon the 2d. dose of it, and by accident most part of the remainder being spilt; there comes in a friend to the House, of some skill, who supposing it to be Spirit of Harts-horn, told the Widow he would endeavour to gain back the money for her. And thereupon went to a Chymist, and bought as much of the said Spirit, as would make up the quant.i.ty purchased of Dr. G.o.ddard, who after Tryal of it by smell, and tast, acknowledged it to be his, and honestly payed back the sum 'twas first sold for; which I think few of the Mountebanks do. Sure I am that a Quack sold 21 Pills for 20 l. whereof the Patient took 4 at two doses, to the great hazard of his life, who then repairing to me for my advice, I by Tryal of one of them found them to be Mercurial, and wished him to return them back, but the Quack would not give him 10 s.

for the 16 remaining.

The inference and sum of what hath been said, is to shew briefly by what Artifices people are deceived in their Healths, and Purses, and how easily the ignorant are couzened, and such practices used, that Physicians, men of honesty and repute, would be ashamed to own, and must by using them in a short time be ruined and discredited. And such Cheats as these, the College of Physicians are bound by the Laws of the Land to decry, and punish (though by so doing it hath often incurred the censure and clamor of the vulgar) Besides the Statute of the 14th. and 15th. of Henry the Eighth injoyns us to it, declaring that 'tis good for the Common-wealth of this Realm, and therefore expedient, and necessary to provide that no person of the College of Physicians (for all practisers then were of the said body) be suffered to exercise, and practise Physic, but only those persons that be profound, sad, and discreet, groundly learned, and deeply studyed in Physic. Now certain it is, that none of the said body did or dare use any of the forementioned frauds and deceits, but will constantly indeavour (since 'tis impossible but there will be Cheatees; (according to the old Proverb, Populus vult decipi, The People will be deceived) to abridge the number of the Cheaters, who answer to the former part of the Proverb, Decipiatur, Let them be couzened.

I shall end this discourse by returning from my digression to the Apothecaries, who may and do use some of the tricks before-mentioned, and shall here briefly recite some great advantages they have, and make use of above Physicians. One is, that they live in this City 7 or 8 years as Apprentices, as also by their retail Trade, and by living in open Shops, by frequent converse with their fellow Citizens, whether in Commerce or Offices, by many friendly and Neighbourly mutual kindnesses and actions, wherein they spend their whole lives, and are never diverted by studies, and ingenuity from their proposed way of gain, by all which means they get into a fixed familiarity and good opinion with their Neighbours, and a large acquaintance in the World. Now for their skill, besides what hath been before-mentioned, and common to them with the Mountebank, viz. Vapouring and braging of their skill, and decrying Physicians, by talking above the Capacity of those they converse with, who therefore take all they say to be authentick, though never so absurd, and trivial, and many times to set off themselves they will venture to speak Latine commonly as false as the matter, although some of them at Coffee-Houses, and in other mixt Companies, by venturing so boldly have been met with and baffled, and made to depart thence with shame and discredit enough, which their friends and acquaintance take little notice of. Add hereunto their exposing to view their Compositions of Treacle, Mithridate, Diascordium and Alkermes, which all their friends, and neighbours one time or another must see; (being set off by some very curiously) and seeing cannot but admire the great charge, art, and labour of the Apothecary, and perhaps hear his learned Lecture upon them, whereby they imply their great skill, knowledg in the virtues of these ingredients, and consequently an ability to practise with them; all which are below the dignity of a Physician; and therefore a long time is necessary for him to gain acquaintance, wanting the fore-mentioned opportunities the Apothecaries enjoy. Lastly, Their painted Pots and Gla.s.ses, with false t.i.tles on them, more win the vulgar then a Physicians Library of far greater value.

As to their incapacity for Practice, 'tis manifest by their education, and ignorance of all those things which are required in an able Physician, viz. the knowledg of Arts and Languages; by the former whereof men learn the way and rules of observing, and improvements to be made thereon; by the latter, what the learned searchers of Nature have in all Ages taken notice of, necessary, and little enough in an Art so difficult as that of Physic. They are wholy ignorant also of all Philosophy, and the very Elements of the Art, and therefore unskillful in knowing diseases; and more surely their causes, whereto respect is to be had, as well as to the diseases, to which, fit remedies are to be applyed. For want of Anatomy know neither the part affected, nor how 'tis affected; much lets any thing of Chirurgical directions. And through their ignorance in Philosophy, and Arts, they have not skill enough to advise a diet sutable to diseases; a thing most necessary, as well in curing diseases as in preserving of health, and which requires a great insight into the nature of things; nor the true grounds and reasons of compounding, practising their way rather by rote then by rule; with better reason may a Brick-layer or Carpenter pretend to be a Mathematical, or a Common Fidler to be a Musick Reader in the Universities, or Gresham-College, since both these have the practical part of those Sciences, which Apothecaries have not in Physic, in the least measure.

And to conceal their mis-actings, they generally do all by word of mouth, and not enter their prescriptions into their Books, being haply ashamed any knowing men should discover their sins of omission, as dangerous many times in point of life and health, as those of their commission. Whereas Physicians Bills are on the File, or registred in Order in their own Books, which is their justification from all misrepresentations.

Again, they sufficiently confess their ignorance, by calling in Physicians when their own, or any of their relations healths are concerned, and the same all people acknowledge, when they are in distress and danger. And very few understanding persons, and none that are learned and knowing, will trust them at all. But I shall refer the Reader to the forementioned Writer against the Apothecaries, viz. Dr.

Daniel c.o.xe, who permitted me to name him here; by whom this and many other things here but briefly touched, are judiciously handled, and more largely.

And as for their skill in practice, we daily see their gross errours and omissions, being called where they have given Medicines. I shall instance only in one that hapned at the writing hereof; viz. that an Apothecary gave strong Purging Pills on the Fit day of a gentle Quartan Ague, which turned it into a violent Fever, to the great hazard of the Patients life.

And at how easie rate they practise, many of their Bills brought and complained of to our College, (in some whereof I have seen Fees set down for Visits) witness, wherein upon a slight disease 5 l. hath been demanded for four days practice. And I have heard one of them brag, that he commonly had from 20 to 100 l. besides presents, for cure of a Clap (as they call it) which might have been more speedily and securely performed for a manifold lesser sum.

I now come to answer some slight objections; as first, that Physicians are unskillful in the Art of making Medicines; but sure those that thus object cannot deny them that ability which Ladies, and almost all ordinary women have; viz. of distilling of waters of all sorts, making of Syrups, Conserves, Preserves, Powders, Trochiscs, Electuaries (and what not) and as many think, more cleanly and neatly then the Apothecaries; and some of them Ointments, and Plasters, in which two lyes their main skill. Some whereof, to those that understand not the way of dissolution of bodies, and the nature of their mixture may be difficult. Yet this defect they may supply by lessening the number of ingredients, and may perform more with 2, or 3 Simples, then with the larger Compositions, as 'tis manifest in the use of Galbanum alone, now used and found better then Emplastrum Hysteric.u.m, consisting of 21 ingredients.