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 assistance, 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 assistants, 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-Glasses, 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 præeminence 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 Batchellor, and Master of Arts, Batchellor 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 title 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 title 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.