SINCE it hath been the fate of many good Undertakings though in themselves highly beneficial to the Publick, to miscarry and come to nothing, not so much by the open opposition of interessed and designing Persons, as by their private insinuations and misrepresentations, whereby they prepossess the People to their own great hurt and damage: That the like mis­fortune may not befal the charitable Design now set on foot by the College of Physicians, LONDON, for the Relief of the Poor Sick [Page 2]in and about this great City and Suburbs, We have thought it ne­cessary to give a short historical account of the Rise and Progress of this matter, whereby we hope it will appear, That this Undertaking, as it was several years since begun (before there were any differences or misunderstandings either amongst our selves, or with the Apothe­caries) upon no other ground but the commiseration of the deplo­rable condition of the Poor Sick, (especially poor House-keepers) not usually taken care of by the Parishes; so also that the same hath been ever since carried on with the same honest intention: And we doubt not but a work so advantagious to the Sick Poor, and so honourable to this City, will in the same manner be shortly finish'd and brought to its utmost perfection.

To omit therefore what has in former times been attempted of this nature by our Predecessors (of whose early Charity we have several Instances recorded in our Annals) the first step we find tending directly to this purpose is a Vote of the College in their publick Meeting, July 28. 1687. to this effect: It was this day appointed and ordained by the Ʋnanimous Vote of the College, That all the Members thereof, whether Fellows, Candidates, or Licentiates of the said College, shall give their advice gratis to all their sick neighbouring Poor, when desired, within the City of London, or seven miles round.

This Order being carried by several of the Members of the Col­lege to the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, They ( Aug. 23. 1687.) did by Dr. Betts, one of our Elects, return the College Thanks for this their charitable Order; with this further request to the College, That they would explain themselves, as to whom they meant by Poor? which they did, by declaring, That all those should be esteemed Poor, that brought Certificates under the hand of the Rector, Vicar or Curate of the Parish wherein they dwelt, of their being such.

An account of this was by the respective Aldermen sent to each Ward. But partly by the industry of some Persons, with whose private Gain it was not so consistent, and especially by reason of the high Prices of Medicines above the purchace of Poor House­keepers, it was for that time stifled. Which the College perceiving, and desirous that so good an Intention to so many poor People might not be frustrated, several methods for the removing this obstruction [Page 3]were proposed at their general Meetings, as, The expending all the Fines of the College in providing Physick for the Poor, and the like: And at last they came to this Resolution, (which was past into an Order, Aug. 13. 1688.) viz.

The College having considered that the Charitable Vote which for­merly passed for prescribing to the Poor gratis, hath not had the effect intended, by reason of the great Prices they are obliged to pay for their Medicines, have this day unanimously voted, That the Labo­ratory of the College be forthwith fitted up for preparing Medi­cines for the Poor, and also the room adjoyning for a Repository. And the College further gave a power to those Members who would subscribe to this Charitable Work, to choose a Committee from among themselves who should order what Compositions and Simples should be kept at the College for the benefit of the Poor, and ma­nage the whole affair as they thought fit.

It was expected that upon this Order the Apothecaries (rather than the College should make Medicines themselves) would have so far concurred in this Charitable Work, as to have born their part therein: And that as we had freely offered our pains to pre­scribe for the Poor for nothing, so they would have given them their pains also, in furnishing them with necessary Medicines at the Intrinsick Value, or at least for some small Profit. But instead of that, several amongst them set themselves by all the art and in­dustry they were capable of, to frustrate the whole design; and finding no method so promising as to stir up a party among our selves to oppose our proceedings, they fell to intrigueing with several of our own Members, who were too easily lured off to serve the Apothecaries interest, for their own private advantage. And from this cause, as we have too much reason to believe, have chiefly sprung the unhappy Differences that are still fomented among us.

But notwithstanding all the discouragements we met with from those of our own Members, who contrary to all the Obligations of Honour and Conscience, constantly discovered to our Adversaries whatsoever passed in the College relating to this design, and ex­posed to them the Names of such as were Promoters thereof, that they might be kept out, as far as in them lay, from all Patients where they should be proposed, and themselves brought in; These and several other difficulties were (though after a considerable [Page 4]time intervening) at last broke through, and the College proceeded to enforce their former Order by another of the 18th. March 1694. to this effect: Whereas in the year 1687. there was an Order made by the unanimous consent of the College, obliging every Member there­of to give his Advice gratis in their respective Parishes in the Cities of London and Westminster, and Suburbs thereof, to all Poor Sick, as should be recommended to them for such by the Rector, Vicar or Curate of the said Parishes by Certificate under their Hands; which said Order was presented to the City: Now we judge it necessary that the said Order be again presented to the Lord Mayor, Court of Alder­men and Common Council, and do hereby again require strict Obedi­ence from all our Members to the aforesaid Order. And a Committee was then chosen by the College to take care of the managing this matter to the best advantage of the designed Charity (consisting of the Elects, Censors and 8. Fellows, whereof 5. to be a Committee.

This Order was accordingly presented to the Lord Mayor, Court of Aldermen and Common Council, June 18. 1695. Upon which the Common Council did nominate, appoint and choose Sir John Moor, Sir William Hedges and Sir Jos. Smart, Aldermen; Mr. Dor­vile, Mr. Ballow, Mr. Egglestone, Sir Edmund Wiseman, Mr. Richer, and Mr. Palfreman, Commoners, (whereof any one of the said Al­dermen, and two of the said Commoners, to be a Committee) to return the Thanks of that Court to the College of Physicians for such their Order, and with them to consult how to improve the ad­vantage proposed by the said College for the relief of the said poor Inhabitants.

July 24th. The Committee of the City and College met, where the Thanks of the Lord Mayor, Court of Aldermen and Common Council, was returned to the College of Physicians for their Chari­table Order.

The Committee of the College delivered in a List of the Names of all their Members, with the places where they lived, which was desired by the City to be printed.

Then the Committee of the City made several Proposals or Queries; as First, Who should be recommended as fitting objects of this Charity? Secondly, Who should be the Persons, that should make up the Physicians Prescriptions, in the several Wards and Pa­rishes of the City? Thirdly, Who should price the Medicines pre­scribed by the Physicians Bills?

After which they with the College-Committee, passing over the first Proposal (which was sufficiently answered by the College's Or­der) proceeded to debate the second and third, and came to this Resolution, That some Apothecaries should be found out who should supply the Poor with Medicines at such Rates as should be adjudg­ed reasonable by the Physicians, in or near the several Parishes; which the Committee of the City earnestly recommended to the Phy­sicians to take care of, and promised that they would doe the same on their part.

Upon this the Committee of the College applyed themselves with great diligence to answer the said desire of the City-Committee, and after some time found out several honest and charitable Apothe­caries, who very cheerfully and readily embraced the offer, and at the solicitation of the Physicians, entred into this following Subscripti­on: We whose names are here underwritten are willing to furnish the Poor, within our respective Parishes, with Medicines at such Rates as the Committee of Physicians shall judge reasonable. Witness our hands. Which subscription we have now by us, but for the Subscribers sakes, do not divulge their Names.

When the Committee of the College had got a sufficient number of Apothecaries, to furnish all the Wards of London, they acquainted the Committee of the City therewith, requesting them at the same time, that they would for their Encouragement, endeavour to have an Act passed in the Common Council, to excuse these Charitable Apothecaries from any troublesome Office.

Then the Committee of the City did desire the College-Commit­tee to get a further Addition to their former Order, whereby the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor, or any of them, might as well as the Ministers, recommend by Certificate, fit Objects of Charity, as also that all hired Servants, and Apprentices to Handi­crafts men, should be reckoned as Objects of Charity; which the Committee of the College promised to endeavour.

Now the College thought they had surmounted all Difficulties, and had attained their end: But the Apothecaries Company having got knowledge of our Meeting with a Committee of the City, did not only draw up and present a Paper to the Committee of the City tending wholly to frustrate the charitable ends of our design, which was sufficiently answered Article by Article, by the Com­mittee [Page 6]of the College, Copies of both which are hereafter inserted; but also hearing that the Committee of Physicians had gotten Apo­thecaries enough to supply this Charity, they were extreamly alarmed, and presently called a Hall, wherein partly by threatning to im­pose upon them the most troublesome and expensive Offices of their Company, and partly by charging them upon this compliance with the Physicians, with breach of their Oaths to their Company, they affrighted most of these Apothecaries from this undertaking, as if their Oath obliged them, Not to do any thing charitably.

September the 4th. 1695. The College made such addition to their Order as the City-Committee had desired. At which Meeting the College did likewise approve and confirm all that had been done by their Committee, giving them thanks for the care and trouble they had already taken, and desiring them to proceed and perfect this charitable Work: owning and declaring all that the Com­mittee had done to be the Act of the College, and not the Act of Six or Seven men, as some had industriously though falsely given out, and that the College would accordingly stand by their Com­mittee in what they had done.

At the next Meeting of the Committees, the addition by the Col­lege to their former Order desired by the City-Committee, was delivered to them, who were much pleased therewith. Then they proceeded to consider who should price the Medicines. And the College-Committee was content (because they would avoid every thing that might obstruct this designed Charity) that the Master and Wardens of the Apothecaries Company should do it every Year, and afterwards bring it to the President and Censors of the College for their Approbation: but even this was also oppo­sed by the Apothecaries Company.

Thus it appearing that the Apothecaries were resolved to obstruct this Charity in every particular, the City-Committee ask'd the Physicians then present, Whether their College would provide Me­dicines for the Poor at reasonable Rates, if the Apothecaries should continue to refuse so to do? To which they answered, That they believed, rather than so Charitable a design should fail, the College would undertake it; and promis'd that they would propose it at their next publick College-meeting.

Hereupon the City-Committee being fully satisfied with the Physicians Answers to their Proposals, and with their sincerity in transacting this whole affair with them, as also that the methods offered by them were the most proper for obtaining the end propo­sed, drew up a Report accordingly, of the whole matter, which the Chairman Sir William Hedges offered to read at the next Com­mon Council: but some affair that required a quicker dispatch in­tervening, it was put off for that time; and this happening at the latter end of the year, the Common Council was not long after of course dissolved, and another chosen, in which several of the then Committee were left out; which probably was the cause that this Report was never after called for.

The matter resting thus, and the College being in expectation to hear from the City, they did nothing further in it till Decemb. 22. 1696. when a Proposition was made in the publick College for a Subscription by the Fellows, Candidates and Licentiates, for carrying on this Charity, which being therein approved, (about nine or ten only dissenting) a Subscription to the effect following was immediately made.

THIS Instrument being thus subscribed by the President, the Censors, all the Elects, but two, most of the Senior Fellows, and several of the Candidates and Licentiates; a College was called, That a Grant might be forthwith made by way of Lease to the Subscribers, of the Laboratory, and other Rooms and conve­niencies necessary for executing the intended charitable design. Which, notwithstanding the opposition of some few, was by a very great majority granted, and afterwards sealed in open College. And now the Laboratory, Repository, &c. are preparing with all imaginable expedition, that so the benefit of the present season for making all sorts of necessary Medicines for the use of the Sick Poor may not be lost, but that we may be in a condition shortly to re­ceive, make up, and distribute, all such Bills and Prescriptions as shall be directed to the Repository by such Physicians as have been so charitable as to subscribe to this Undertaking for the benefit of their Poor Sick Neighbours.

Here follow the ANSWERS offered by the Apothecaries to the Proposals of the City-Committee, with the Physicians Reply thereunto.