Having done with the Apothecaries abuses relating chiefly to the Patients Health and Purse, and such as are willfully committed (though all of them reflect on the Physician) I shall now touch on a few neglects, and mistakes proving often very mischievous.
First, They frequently mistake the Physicians directions, which of what dangerous consequence it is, every one can tell.
Secondly, They carry a Medicine appointed for one sick person to another.
Thirdly, They often neglect the sending of Medicines in due time, especially such as have no Servants, or but raw ones, when the Master is out of Town, or upon long visits.
Having now done with the Apothecaries as they relate principally to the sick, I shall in the next place speak of them, as they relate to Physicians, and that either to the profession in general, or to the particular practisers of it.
As to the Physicians in general, they endeavour to extirpate them, and some have been so bold to say, they hope in few years to see never a Physician in London, and to profess they will scramble with them for practice. And that this hath been and is their intention, the following particulars will clearly demonstrate.
First, They have always endeavoured and aimed at the depression and ruine of the College of Physicians, the only Corporation of that Art in England, considering rightly, that the depression of the College is their interest and rise, and that the total subversion of it will make them absolute Masters in Physic and Physicians their Servants. In Order hereunto they have constantly, both publickly and privately opposed the College in whatsoever hath been offered to setle the liberty of practice on them, their only priviledg and subsistence, though they have been offered all they could desire for the security of their Trade, and legal employment, and far beyond whatsoever any Corporation of Apothecaries in all, or in any forreign part enjoy, yet nothing would ever content them, but an unlawful, unreasonable, dangerous, and destructive Usurpation of liberty to some pretended practice, that thereby they might gain the whole.
Secondly, They have continually traduced the College, and troubled them in Parliaments, at the Council-Board, &c. to their great charge and molestation. And for such their great demerits against the College, the King and his Council, Anno 1639. granted a Quo Warranto to the Attorney General (the Judges having first heard the whole matter) to take away their Charter, which doubtless had been effected, had not the troubles, and long civil War immediately ensued.
Thirdly, And in this present Parliament, how did they endeavour to prepossess the Members of the House of Commons with strange, and false prejudices and assertions drawn from irrational, and groundless suppositions, making us the greatest Tyrants in the World, inferring ridiculously that a Lady, or Charitable Gentlewoman (for in that believing Sex they have gain'd a great deal of ground by their falsities) might not give the Poor a Cordial, &c. without being questioned by the College; whereas they know in their Consciences, that the College hath power enough by their first Charter to act as much in this kind against themselves, and all other persons, as they desired of this present Parliament; And yet neither Apothecary, or any other who practised charitably, were ever troubled for so doing. They pretended also they were abridged wholy from their Trade, and might not sell a penny-worth of Mithridate, &c. without a Doctors Bill. Whereas there's not a word in the Charter to that purpose; the sole intent whereof was to keep them as well as other Mountebanks, from prescribing (which they call selling) the Physicians only livelyhood. And as to the bill itself so much railed on by them in Westminster-Hall, Coffee-Houses, Ale-Houses, &c. 'tis easie to make it out, that this Charter as proposed gives the Apothecaries more liberty and freedom of exercising their lawful Trade, then is enjoyed in any other Nation, where both Corporations are erected, and that it doth in nothing infringe, or diminish their freedom as Citizens, or their Charter as Apothecaries; and that our Charter was compiled by some, and perused and approved by others the most eminent Lawyers in England for Worth and Place; and yet none of these could find any thing in it either Illegal, Tyrannical, or unfit to be desired of the Parliament. Nay many mis-informed Members being rightly instructed in the true state of the matter, have acknowledged the justice of it; And was no more then King James by his Letters Patents, dated the 18th of October, in the 15th year of his Reign, granted to the said College; near about the same time the Apothecaries Charter was granted; and being almost nothing else but a supply of what was short in their former Grants, viz. That whereas their Charter granted by King Henry the Eighth, gave power to punish offenders in the practice of Physic; and because there was no power given to summon, nor penalty imposed for the non-appearance of such offenders; therefore by their non-appearance, the said power of the Censors was eluded; for no such offenders would appear before them, and consequently no punishment could be inflicted on them, according to the true meaning of the said Act. Now this Charter so much declaimed against, prayed only a supply of this defect, and also better and more necessary ways and means, without which, such and all other offenders against the lives and healths of his Majesties Subjects could not be discovered; and they had reason not to doubt a grant of the said power, since by the said Charter a power was granted them to imprison offenders, whom the Keepers of the Prisons would not receive, because no command, nor penalty was imposed on them, for not receiving such offenders sent by the Censors (a thing ridiculous to our present Lawyers) however this defect was supplyed by an Act in the first of Queen Mary. Now whereas since the making of the said Acts and Powers, granted to the College, several other Trades, besides the Apothecaries, relating to Physic (being then all Members of the Grocers Company) viz. Druggists, Chymists, Sellers of Strong-Waters and Oyls, have arose distinct from each others, and many abuses have been and are committed in each of them, as they all confess. The said Charter prays for the publick good only (there being the same reason of all) they might have the same power of Surveying them also, as they have of the Apothecaries, which most of the Judicious, and sober of the said Companies, as well in relation to their own private profit, and also the publick, by having all Medicines good, did not oppose, but liked well of. Nay there was nothing in the said Charter, but what was judged good by all or most of the Judges of England, several times convened by Order of the King and his Council, to deliver their opinions concerning some Quæries, which comprised the main of what was desired and petitioned for by the College, of this present Parliament. But before the Committee could make report to the House, the Parliament was adjourned, whereupon Apothecaries falsly gave out, and made people believe our Charter was taken from us. And in this transaction before the Committee, one Cocket an Apothecary exhibited in the name of the Chymists such a Scandalous Libel, as the Committee would not suffer to be read; drawn as some conceive by the assistance, and countenance, if not contrivance of his Company.
Lastly, The Company of the Apothecaries are bound by their Charter to bring their Servants (before they make them Free) to be examined by the Censors of our College, and to have their approbation of their fitness to exercise their Art, and set up their Trade. Now that they have herein neglected their duty, and consequently may be dis-franchised and lose their Freedoms for this omission, 'tis manifest not only by the vapours of some of them to some members of our Body, that they never underwent this examination; but also by comparing of our Register (wherein are recorded the names of all such as have been examined) with theirs, if they keep any for this purpose. Sure I am, that in two years together, when I was Censor, very few, if any, did appear to their examination, whereas yearly a very great number set up their Trades. Nay since the firing of London not one Apothecaries Servant hath been examined by the Censors, for more then these three Years last past, in which time perhaps no less then 100 have been made free by the Company.