V. And furthermore at such Times heretofore accustomed, there shall be chosen by the same Company four Masters or Governors of the same Corporation or Company, of the which four, two of them shall be expert in Surgery, and the other two in Barbery; which four Masters, and every of them, shall have full Power and Authority from Time to Time, during their said Office, to have the Oversight, Search, Punishment and Correction of all such Defaults and Inconveniences as shall be found among the said Company using Barbery or Surgery, as well of Freemen as Foreigners, Aliens or Strangers, within the City of London and the Circuits aforesaid, after their said Discretions; And if any Person or Persons using any Barbery or Surgery at any Time hereafter offend in any of these Articles aforesaid, that then for every Month the said Persons so offending shall lose, forfeit and pay v. li. the one Moiety thereof to the King our Sovereign Lord, and the other Moiety to any Person that will or shall sue therefore by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information in any of the King’s Courts, where no Wager of Law, Essoin or Protection shall be admitted or allowed in the same.
VI. Provided that the said Barbers and Surgeons, and every of them, shall bear and pay Lot and Scot, and such other Charges as they and their Predecessors have been accustomed to pay within the said City of London; this Act nor any thing therein contained to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding.
VII. Provided alway, and be it enacted by Authority aforesaid, That it shall be lawful to any of the King’s Subjects, not being Barber or Surgeon, to retain have and keep in his House as his Servant any Person being a Barber or Surgeon, which shall and may use and exercise those Arts and Faculties of Barbery or Surgery, or either of them in his Master’s House, or elsewhere by his Master’s Licence or Commandment; any Thing in this Act above written to the contrary notwithstanding.
34. 35. Hen. 8. c. 8.
A Bill that Persons being no common Surgeons, may minister Medicines, notwithstanding the Statute.
‘Where in the Parliament holden at Westminster, in the third year of the King’s most gracious reign, amongst other things, for the avoiding Sorceries, Witchcraft, and other inconveniencies; it was enacted, That no Person within the City of London, nor within seven miles of the same, should take upon him to exercise and occupy as Physician or Surgeon, except he be first examined, approved and admitted by the Bishop of London, and others, under and upon certain Pains and Penalties, in the same Act mentioned: since the making of which Act, the Company and Fellowship of Surgeons of London, minding only their own lucres, and nothing the profit or ease of the Diseased or Patient, have sued, troubled, and vexed divers honest Persons, as well Men as Women, whom God hath endued with the knowledge of the nature, kind and operation of certain herbs, roots and waters, and the using and ministering of them to such as been pained with customable Diseases, as Women’s Breasts being Sore, a Pin and the Web in the eye, Uncomes of Hands, Burnings, Scaldings, Sore Mouths, the Stone, Stranguary, Saucelim, and Morphew, and such other like Diseases; and yet the said Persons have not taken any thing for their Pains or Cunning, but have ministered the same to poor People only, for Neighbourhood and God’s sake, and of Pity and Charity; and it is well known, that the Surgeons admitted will do no cure to any Person, but where they shall know to be rewarded with a greater sum or reward than the cure extendeth unto; for in case they would minister their cunning unto sore People unrewarded, there should not so many rot, and perish to Death for lack or help of Surgery, as daily do; but the greatest part of Surgeons admitted been much more to be blamed, than those Persons that they trouble.’
‘For although the most part of the Persons of the said Craft of Surgeons, have small cunning, yet they will take great Sums of Money, and do little therefore; and by reason thereof, they do oftentimes impair and hurt their Patients, rather than do them good.’ In consideration whereof, and for the Ease, Comfort, Succour, Help, Relief, and Health of the King’s poor Subjects, Inhabitants of this Realm, now pained or diseased, or that hereafter shall be pained or diseased.
Be it ordained, established, and enacted, by the Authority of this present Parliament, that at all time from henceforth, it shall be lawful to every Person being the King’s Subject, having knowledge and experience of the nature of Herbs, Roots, and Waters, or of the operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice, within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other of the King’s Dominions, to practise, use, and minister in and to any outward Sore, Uncome, Wound, Apostemations, outward Swellings or Disease, any Herb or Herbs, Ointments, Baths, Pultess, and Emplasters, according to their Cunning, Experience and Knowledge, in any of the Diseases, Sores, and Maladies beforesaid, and all other like to the same, or Drinks for the Stone, Stranguary or Agues, without Suit, Vexation, Trouble, Penalty, or loss of their Goods; the foresaid Statute in the foresaid third Year of the King’s Most Gracious Reign, or any other Act, Ordinance, or Statute to the contrary heretofore made in anywise notwithstanding.
1. Mary, c. 9.
An Act touching the Corporation of Physicians in London.
‘Whereas in the Parliament holden at London, the fifteenth Day of April, in the fourteenth year of the Reign of our late Sovereign Lord, King Henry the Eighth, and from thence adjourned to Westminster, the last day of July, in the fifteenth year of the Reign of the same king, and there holden, it was enacted, That a certain Grant of Letters Patents of Incorporation, made and granted by our said late king to the Physicians of London, and all Clauses and Articles contained in the same Grant, should be approved, granted, ratified and confirmed by the same Parliament.’
For the consideration thereof, be it enacted, by the Authority of this present Parliament, That the said Statute or Act of Parliament, with every Article and Clause therein contained, shall from henceforth stand and continue in full Strength, Force and Effect; any Act, Statute, Law, Custom, or any other thing made had or used to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.