And though as matters now stand, Physicians have not the honour to be counted superiour to Apothecaries in their Art, yet every one knows that they alone are the prescribers and directors of the Apothecaries in what they know; and are able to puzzle them in infinite things that concern their Trade, besides in Chymical preparations, whereof most of them are totally ignorant; and should Physicians withdraw themselves from their conversation, few pretenders to Physic would appear more unskillful then they, neither knowing how to deal with a new Simple, nor a new disease. And for all their pretences of skill in Drugs, 'tis most certain that the State makes Physicians not Apothecaries, Judges of them; and the Statute of Henry the VIII. appoints the College Censors upon Oath, not the Apothecaries to judg, and condemn false and sophisticated Medicines.
A second objection wherewith they flatter themselves, is, that the great expence of time in preparing Medicines will keep Physicians from this course. I answer, that the Physician needs not spend much more then half an hour in a day, one with another, on this work, and may faster dispense them then the Apothecaries to Hospitals, who in an afternoon can provide for 100, nay sometimes 200 sick men, and carry them to the Hospital, and dispose them to each single person, which takes up much time, which the Physicians Servants need not be put to.
A third objection is, that this course, which before 'twas put in practice they derided, now used is railed at, will undo them. I answer that if needs, one or the other must be ruined, 'tis more reasonable that the Apothecary should suffer then the Physician, because the one acts but his duty, and for the publick good, but the other are transgressors of the Law, and act above the Sphere of their skill, and do many prejudices to the precious lives, and healths of men; and the rather, because 'tis in their own power to prevent this mischief, by stinting the number of their Servants (as 'tis in foreign parts, and in England also, in very many if not most other Trades. Nay our State allows but a set number of Printers) for they acknowledg themselves, that the exceeding increase of their number must necessarily in a short time bring them all to shifting and beggery, and a greater want of skill then what they now pretend to. But to answer this Objection more fully, I affirm Apothecaries have made and do make use of several other ways of subsistence; besides their bare trades (none of which Physicians can use) viz. some of them in this City as well as in the Country, sell Grocery-wares, and by both together, gain Estates. Secondly, They barter in Drugs and other Commodities, selling them amongst themselves, and to other Tradesmen. Furthermore, they are now building a Laboratory to make all sorts of Chymical Medicines, intending to supply the whole Nation with them, which must necessarily undo all the Chymists in London; and whether in time they will not distil Strong-waters, &c. (an easie thing for them to undertake) and by this means to ruine the Corporation of Distillers of Strong-waters, I leave to the said Company to conceive as they please. However, this I have heard several of them say, that they resolve to buy all sorts of Drugs, and make a Magazine of them, as well as of the greater Compositions, at their own Hall; and to sell them to the Members of their Company, whereby the Trade of the Druggist, must be much lessened, if not totally over-thrown. So little regard have they of any other employment but of their own, yet all these things they may do without any offence against the Laws of the Land. Why then should they, who have so many ways of subsistence, envy, and usurp unlawfully over the single and lawful way granted Physicians for their livelihood? Or why would they repine, and revile them for advancing their Art, the publick health and profit, and for maintaining their profession by their Pens, and actings against themselves, who are the first aggressors in this division? Which I profess to be the sole end of these present papers, and heartily wish they may thrive and prosper as long as they conform themselves to the Laws of Honesty, Reason, and of the Land. Besides, why may not the Plaisterer more reasonably pretend the same to the Painter, and many other Trades against one another, as the Brick-layer to the Stone-Cutter, &c. that they understand the Trade, and that truly too, and that they cannot subsist without this incroachment? And why should not Chirurgeons keep open Apothecaries Shops? but that the same Law limits those Tradesmen, as well as prohibits the Apothecary from the practice of Physic. And surely the Law and State have no consideration of those persons subsistence, who conform not to them; and why should we have of those, subordinate to us, who against all good Conscience take away from us all that is our due, and continually traduce and slander us very untruly and designingly?
The last objection (and a strange one) is, that in this private way of giving Medicines, Physicians may poyson their Patients. But this is easily retorted upon the Apothecaries, who may themselves or their Servants do the like, as 'tis known in the poysoning of Sir Thomas Overbury; besides, since it cannot be otherwise, but that the Patient must trust somebody, 'tis better to trust one then many; and if one, better him whose education will teach him better Morality, (and who hath given his Faith (equivalent to an Oath) twice to the Body of the College; viz. once at his admission as Candidate, and a second time at his admission as Fellow; whereby he promiseth in these words, That he shall give nothing to cause miscarriage, or to destroy, or hinder Conception, nor Poysons (for of such, good Medicines may be made) to an evil purpose, nay that he shall not even teach them where there is any suspicion of ill using of them. Which promise is nothing else but the Oath proposed by Hippoc. to Physicians, in the entrance to his Books) then to trust such as want these qualifications; and this seems to be the reason why our Common Law makes it Felony, for any person to have any one dy under his hand, unless he were a lawful Physician. More noble and generous was the opinion of Alexander the Great, concerning his Physician, who confidently drank off that Medicine which cured him, though he was before informed by some friend that 'twas poysoned. Neither can History it self to my knowledg produce any example, that ever any such foolish Villany was acted; Though doubtless many lives might have been saved if the Apothecaries would have complyed with the College, in their proposed Orders for selling Rats-bane.
In the next place I shall recite some few of their devices against those Physicians in particular that make their own Medicines, as to tell the Patient that is averse to Chymical Medicines, that the Doctor is Chymical, and that because forsooth he makes his own Medicines; but to those that affect Chymical, that the Doctor is but a Galenist, and useth only dull and ineffectual remedies, as best suits to the sick mans Palat. A second is, that if this Physician be called in to a Patient, the Apothecary will pretend present danger, and in his absence call in another, or pretend he is abroad when he is not, or else that the Case requires the counsel of two Physicians; and what other devices they use, I have not well learned.
Now briefly follow some small Scandals they cast upon the said Physicians, as first that they do it for want of practice; the falsity whereof is known by those few that do act this way already, and shortly 'twill be more apparent, when many more of good practice, singular parts and honesty will do the like, and certainly nothing but lazyness, ignorance, or want of will to do the utmost good they are able for the sick, can hinder them from so doing, except age, infirmity of body, or want of convenience. But suppose 'tis so as they alledg, doubtless every man may and ought to use all lawful means for his own subsistence; and do not our adversaries say they are inforced to it, affirming that unless they give Medicines of themselves, their acquaintance will go to another Apothecary who will do it, though one of their Company told me, they had power by their Charter to restrain practice? Whence (if true) it clearly follows that the whole Company allows it.
But those Physicians, that for the reasons above, cannot nor will not take this course, are to be admonished, to do here as the Physicians did in France, for the good of people, viz. to tell their Patients the prices of Medicines, and to write their Bills in English, that thereby the Patients may not pay too unreasonable for them.
I now conclude, having performed this ungrateful task, with as much brevity, mildness of Spirit, and language, as the business would permit (and what the prudent Statutes of our College require of each of their members, that we shall by all honest and lawful ways and means prosecute all illiterate Mountebanks and Impostors, &c. and is no more then the Laws and Charters granted to us allow, and what we twice faithfully promise (as much an Oath as we can give) viz. at our admission as Candidate and as Fellow) being obliged to another work of greater difficulty, and concern, long since promised, having been too long diverted with fitting my self for my intended practice, and several other unavoidable Occasions.
Postscript.
Reader, There intervening so small a space from the publication of the first Edition of these Papers to this second; I thought to have added nothing to it, but to have put it out only more correct, as the Title intimates; but since some Sheets were printed off, I have had the opportunity to be informed of some exceptions taken to them, which being but few, I shall give the Objectors full satisfaction in. Though one answer might serve for all; viz. that an Apothecary in the presence of two Physicians, said, that he had told me of all these Cheats, and indeed they are so common, that whosoever shall be conversant with them, may observe most of these to be a great part of their discourse. The First exception against Myrtle-leafs, that they were not shewed the Censors for Sena, a Binder for a Purger; the time I have forgot; the Censors then were, Sir George Ent, Dr. Goddard, Dr. King, and my Self; the places, Tut-hill-street, and some Shops in King-street; Mr. Shellberry being then Master of the Company. Secondly, As for Mushrooms rubbed over with Chalk for Agaric; this was found by the Censors in the Old-Baily, at the Shop of one now dead, and therefore I shall say no further of it, it being taken notice of by Mr. Evelyn, as is intimated before. p.8. A Third is Diascordium made of Honey and Bole-Armeniac, this was discovered in a Shop at the end of Drury-lane near Holborn, concluded to be so by Sir George Ent, My Self, and Mr. Richardson then Master of the Company, and the rest of the Censors and Wardens, easily to be remembred, and was by them taken away to their Hall; a pound whereof I had, and by dissolution found it to be no otherwise; what the Apothecaries did with the large Pot of the remainder I know not. Besides these, I have heard no exception to the whole concerning frauds.