28th December, 1632. On the death of Dr. Gwyn, in December, 1627, it had been arranged that in future the Surgeons of the Company should read the Anatomical lectures in turn, weekly; but great difficulty having been experienced in carrying out this regulation, the Court now reverted to the former practice of employing a Professor, and appointed Dr. Alexander Reade at a salary of £20 per annum.
23rd March, 1635. Alsoe this Court takeing notice that in theis latter yeares there hath bene a generall remissnes in the greater pˀt of the Surgians of this Companie in their not appearance and personall attendance in their Seates on the Scaffoldings at the Six lecture tymes at the publique Anatomye, and the disorderlynes of those Surgians yt doe appeare for wanting their outward ornament commixing themselves confusedly amongst the Comon people then pˀnte, whereby the honor and worthynes of this Companie on the Surgians pˀte hath bene much eclipsed. ffor redresse of wch enormious exorbitance and for the better grace and Worˀp̃ of this Companie. It is now decreed that for ever hereafter at the tymes of publiq̃e Lecture readings on the Sceletons or Anatomies in this Comon Hall this ensueing order for the greater decencye & more Worˀp̃ of this Companie shall from tyme to tyme hereafter yearely be observed and put in due execution, vizt., That every Surgian either of the Assistants or of the Liverye shall appeare in his gowne in the forenone and afternoone of one daye at the least of the 3 dayes lectures at every publiq̃e discection And that every Surgian of the Wardeins and of the Assistants of the yeomanrye shall likewise appeare in his gowne in the forenone and afternoone of one daye at the least of the three dayes lectures at every publiq̃e Anatomye, and everye one of those Surgians dureing the tyme of such lecture shall sitt decently in such place in the Scaffoldings as is appropriated to every of them in their degrees and Rancks as aunciently hath bene accustomed upon payne that every Surgian that shall not accordingly appeare shall forfeite and paye to the use of the Companie the some of Twoe shillings and Six pence, or appeareing shall not weare his gowne all the tyme of such readeing for one daye at the least the som̃e of Twelve pence, And that every pˀson of the Coiãltie or fforreine brothers professeing Surgerye shall likewise appeare in the forenone and afternone of one daye at the least of the 3 dayes lectures at the publiq̃e Anatomye and not appeareing shall forfeite Twelve pence without redempc͠on of all or any pˀte of any of the fines aforesaid.
24th September, 1635. Alsoe for that Nicholas Downeing not being an approved Surgian according to Lawe did twoe opac͠ons[202] in Surgery contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdome & the Customes & ordinances of this Companie and being forbid by the Mrs & Governors to forbeare those opac͠ons did notwithstanding that prohibic͠on make opac͠ons and both patients died, Was fined at iiijli, vizt., xls a peece for each of those twoe opac͠ons because he made not two presentac͠ons according to the ordinance of this Companie in that behalfe, And he to be prosecuted at Lawe for the Childs miscarriage.
Alsoe this daye the said Nicholas Downeing was fined by this Court at vjs. viijd. for his uncivill behavior to Mr John Woodall an auncient Mr of this Companie.
6th October, 1635. Alsoe Nicholas Downeing being here in Court was required to paye his three fines according to his promise the last Thursdaye, denied to paye them, is by this Court comitted to the Compter in Wood Streete in my lord Maior of Londons name.
The following entry is not complimentary to Dr. William Harvey, the discoverer of the circulation of the blood, the marginal note in the minute book being “Doctor Harveys ill practise.”
17th November, 1635. This daye Wm Kellett being called here in Court for not makeing presentac͠on of one Mr Kinnersleys maide that died in his charge, he saied here in Court that Mr Doctor Harvye being called to the patient did upon his vew of the patient saie, that by the meanes of a boulster the tumor on the temporall muskle would be discussed and his opinion was, that there was noe fracture but the vomiteing came by reason of the foulenesse of the Stomacke, and to that purpose pˀscribed physick by Briscoe the Apothecarye, soe the patient died by ill practise, the fracture being neglected & the Companie not called to the vew.
The next entry illustrates the peremptory method of dealing with a quack:—
22nd October, 1635. One Christopher Hatton whoe saied he waighteth on Sr Wm Belfore his Matꝭ Lieutenant of The Tower came to this Court to knowe the reason of the Companies takeing downe of Lãw Raylens banner or mountabanck table of bladders & stones being a stranger borne & then were hung upon Tower hill execution place, this Courts answere was that by the Lawes & Charters of this Companie they tooke & demolished them.
Also the said Lawrence Ruylen a mountabanck was called here in Court and ordered to paye his fine of vli for hanging his signes tables bladders and stones upon the publique postꝭ in streetes & on the Traitors scaffold on Tower hill in an exorbitant manner being contrary to the Lawes and Charters of this Companie confirmed according to Lawe And this Court doth order that those signes and bladders shalbe demolished and he is forbidden from further practiseing any pˀt of Surgerye hereafter within London or 7 miles Compasse of this Cittye.