HAVING no other News, I am tempted to send you, with some Remarks upon it, a Discourse that lately came to my Hands, subscribed from a Merchant in London, to a Dispensary Physician, with the Physician's Answer. The Subject of the Discourse being, The present State of Physick and Surgery; at my entrance upon it I could not judg the Author less than a Drugster, as knowing no other Merchants so nearly concerned with Physick. But reading on, and finding him complain of the Luxuriant Use of Medicines, it was natural to conclude he had been some great Sufferer. But coming at length to the Physician's Answer, and finding that so like the Product of one and the same Ingeny; I was tempted to think the Merchant broke, and lately turned Physician; or the Phy­sician wanting Business, to have newly took up the Trade of a Merchant. But I had no sooner perused the whole Treatise, than I found out the Mys­tery and Bottom of the Business to be no less than a War proclaimed by one Company of Merchants against another for interloping; or (to be plain) the Apothecaries having been trading in that part, which the Physicians count their proper Province, the Doctors as an Act of Hostility retaliate, and are tur­ned Apothecaries.

What may be the consequence of this Breach of the Peace, time must mani­fest; but I hope, Sir, you who are known to be a disinterested Person, and as such a more proper and fit Judg of the Grounds and Management of the War, may insinuate something that may be a more proper Medium to compose the Difference, or at least more advantageous to the People, who must bear the Charge of the War, than any thing has been said, or is likely to be done by ei­ther Party.

Here are forty six Doctor-Apothecaries, against a thousand Apothecary-Doc­tors, which is great Odds. But the Apothecaries say, 'tis the Doctors Fear that multiplies them beyond the true Number: Be it so, the Doctors shew their Valour the more, since they are resolved to engage; and I don't know but if they can bring in the East-India Companies as Auxiliaries, as they seem to threaten, by insinuating the Merchants Concern and Acquaintance [Page 4]with their Affairs, they will be capable to ruin more than 1000 Clister-pipe Men Horse and Foot; the Doctors themselves being all 46 Commission-Offi­cers: Tho the Apothecaries say one half of them are as unfit for their Profes­sion as other Folks; 'tis only the Virtue of L. and M. makes them the same Doctors in the Common Cause, and able to say, Nos Poma.

Well, the Merchant-Physician, or Doctor-Apothecary (which he pleases) exhibits divers Articles against the Apothecary-Doctors, as a just Cause of ta­king up Arms, having received them at an Evening-Muster at the College, after Orders given concerning a large Confluence of Sick and Maimed, some Merchants no doubt.

In the Preface to the Discourse he asserts,

‘' First, That the Apothecaries have often reproach'd the Physicians, that the Poor were left to their Care, and that they neglected the Pharmaceu­tick Part, or Preparation of Remedies now lodged in themselves. But the Doctor is convinc'd that the Dispensary is the greatest Relief to the Poor, who have the best Advice and best Physick at very small Expence. The Physicians are often considering the Drugs, carefully viewing the common Preparations, improving them, and adding others which they think or judg more useful.'’

Remark. It must be confessed, that the Physicians have not been reproached without Cause, they have not hitherto been used to give Advice to large Con­fluences of sick Persons Gratis: having no Remedies to sell to them that had no Fees to give, the Poor have been forced to go to them that had, or wholly to let Nature alone to struggle with its Diseases. Nor have the Physicians only neglected, but been ignorant of the Pharmaceutick Part. Neither can the A­pothecaries any more than the Physicians pretend themselves compleat herein, being generally alike ignorant of the chief and most artful Part, Pyrotechny, leaving its most effectual Preparations to the Care of those, whose Care is only how they may make them, not most adapted to the Cure of Diseases, but to their best Advantage; professing no Skill in Diseases, or the Virtues of what they make in order to remove them.

But the Dispensary, tho it be an Acknowledgment of the Faults the Phy­sicians have been reproached with, is not the greatest relief to the Poor; nor have we more than their own Words to assure us that they will, yea or can afford the best Advice, and the best Medicines cheaper than other Physici­ans.

That they can give the best Advice is but their own immodest Boast; but that they are so soon become the best skilled in Pharmaceuticks, tho with the As­sistance of a few poor Apothecaries amongst them, we know 'tis very unlike­ly, if not impossible; or that they can consider the Drugs, much farther than to know them by Sight, since they have but lately dealt that way; nor [Page 5]are they much more likely to improve or add to the common Preparations. But,

‘' Secondly, He says the Citizens often complain to the Physicians of the very chargeable Bills of the Apothecaries, and declare their Jealousy of a Combination, in multiplying Medicines and Doses needlessly. But the Dispensary relieves the first by selling almost at the first Cost, or 18 in 20 cheaper than the Apothecaries. And the Dispensary Physicians being under no Engagements with the Apothecaries, cure with one or few Prescriptions in less difficult Cases, and with no more than necessary in the more dange­rous (avoiding all Medicines acting on Nature with more or less Violence) the more hazardous extreme: The Charge under 10 or 20 s. in a Fever or the Smallpox, instead of so many Pounds; many require not more than three or four Shillings worth, which by subdividing into Boles, Pouders and Draughts, come in a Bill to four or five Pounds.'’

Remark. The Apothecaries Bills no doubt have been larger or smaller ac­cording to the Proportion of their Consciences; it cannot fairly be supposed, they have been all alike culpable: but it is no wonder the People have com­plained of the dearness of the Wares, where the Brokers have been so well paid for advising to the Bargain; two Charges must needs look great, where one had been enough, and Advice and Medicines too might have been afforded at the Charge of either. A Combination between Doc­tors and Apothecaries, where there was a mutual Dependance, was but natu­ral; Manus Manum fricat. But now it is past doubt, since the Dispensary Physicians declare, they are at present under no Engagements to the A­pothecaries.

But the Dispensary Physicians say, they are now resolved to be honest, and sell their Remedies almost at the first Cost. Almost and hard by, &c. but if they sell so cheap, and use but few Prescriptions, I doubt they will not be over­sparing in their Visits, or lower their Fees which may make amends, tho they give their Physick unvalued; but how can we be assured, that they will, or rather that they can cure with one, few, or no more than are necessary? Prescriptions I do not know, unless they first demonstrate by their Practice that their Skill is greater than other Physicians, which is yet to be done. But they discover their Discretion more than their Skill, in avoiding the more active Medicines. 'Tis dangerous medling with Edg-Tools, by those that have not been used to handle them: a Bone Knife is fit for Children, that they may not cut one another; but if Physicians should venture to use more active Remedies, Distempers might terminate one way or other too soon, to require many Visits, and consequently fewer Fees would be gotten. But Gentlemen may have the Small Pox, or Fever cured for ten or twenty Shillings, which we must un­derstand in Medicines, and that sometimes is very dear, when as these Disea [...]es [Page 6]commonly are cured by Nature without Assistance: Many Diseases they say for three or four Shillings; but what these Diseases are, it were good also to know, whether Tooth-ach or Corns; and what Fees are required besides, and whether the Dispensary Men will trust. But,

Remark. It is a shame for Physicians to confess, that the Apothecaries have kept the Doctors many Years under the Fear of their Power, or that they should command in all Families: indeed it seems natural for the People to ask the Apothecary, who is the most skilful Physician, he being more capable to judg than the People; and on this account they have had a Capacity to recom­mend such as they thought would prescribe best either for the Patients or the A­pothecaries Disease, which soever lay with most pain on his Mind: but how they should make them obedient by taxing hard, I do not see, unless one e­vil being less than two, they chuse to submit themselves wholly to the Apothe­carys Care, if not fearing the Fees more than the Bill, yet being sure both would be much heavier; so that only Extremity or Experience of the Apothecarys in­sufficiency could make them see other Counsel.

It were certainly well if Physicians could govern the Patients by Reason, and [Page 7]that of their own stock, as well as give 'em Medicines of their own preparing, without putting 'em in fear of large Fees, or dear Physick; then no doubt they would consult 'em sooner.

And it were very well, if Physicians would not only prevent their own ruin, but their Patients also by their good success; and that he that has the best success might have most business, which can hardly be whilst Physicians are D [...]pen­dants.

How Apothecaries should get any certain Nostrum's from Physicians Prescripts, I don't easily see, since they have been so Numerous, and compounded in almost every Case, that the Physician himself must needs be ignorant what did the Cure: but if the Apothecary was so sagacious as to see what wrought the Effect, how could he be so dull as not to learn the manner of using it?

Whether the Dispensary will remove the peoples Complaints and Jealousy, does not yet appear; or whether the Dispensary Doctors, and their Apotheca­rys will be less combin'd, and more honest than others, or more for either the Physicians or Patient's advantage.

But, if the Apothecary can't complain that he is injur'd by the Dispensary, which only follows his Example, in bringing the Advising and Shop-trade to­gether, to the better service of the Publick; certainly, the Dispensary Physician can with as little reason complain of the Apothecary, for setting him the Good Example, in better serving the Publick: If the Apothecary was the first Ambo-dexter that the Doctor thought worthy to imitate, why should he be so angry at the Master that gave him so fair a Copy? And if it be so reasonable in cases of Life and Death, to practise only the Judicial part, why may not the practising Apothecary leave the making of Medicines only to his Man, whom he himself has instructed, as well as the Dispensary-Physician to his Apo­thecary at the College, who perhaps must instruct his Masters?

‘'But the Dispensary (adds he) has been impeached with the Barbarous design, of destroying the Apothecarys Company. But they scorn the Impu­tation, and declare the greatest Esteem of those of the Society, who (like the Gentleman near the College) Moribus Antiquis, are as Eminent for their care in preparing the best Medicines, as for their integrity and modesty, in not invading the Profession, or abusing and destroying the People.'’

Remark. If the Dispensarys multiply, and the People believe they are the on­ly sure relief to the sick, the Apothecarys must fall, unless those few who like the Gentleman near the College, Antiqua Ignorantia, are the more to be trusted for good Medicines, because they dare not pretend to understand the Use of them.

‘'But says he, The Apothecarys destroy themselves by their Numbers, mul­tiplying from 1000 to as many more in eight years, without any prospect of checking the superfluous increase; they must therefore accuse their own un­happy [Page 8]Conduct, who are insensible of its fatal Consequences.'’

Remark. If the Apothecaries are so likely to be destroyed Suis Copiis, what need of so much noise at them? let them go quietly down: but unless they multiply more than other men, I don't see how their number can destroy them any more, than the Multiplying of any State or Kingdom can destroy it. But it is not barely the Multiplying, or destruction of the Apothecarys, that troubles the Dispensary, so much as what follows.

Remark. This is the Grand fault of the Apothecaries, that they undertake to practise: Let them have been as great Knaves as they would, if they had never medled in any thing that had been to the Dishonour, or rather and more espe­cially to the Disadvantage of the Doctors (for now Plurimus auro venit Honos) they might have ruin'd themselves without pity I do not question: And those Men that are content to take on them the Odium of the Deaths of the slain amongst them, or to excuse their own faults by the Apothecaries mistakes, have the Honour of being well paid no doubt. Tho the Surgeons lose some of the small Jobs by the Apothecarys Officiousness, they do not so much com­plain; but they fit them as well as the Dispensary, commonly making their own Medicines, and if they lose the Ordinary Cases, yet they arc the more used to the Difficult. But

The Poor suffer most truly in every Disease, Corporeal or Crumenal, whether Poor Doctors, Apothecarys, Surgeons or People; and Poor we are first to be cared for, whatever the Pretence be of the Dispensary's being the Alma Mater, where the Physicians from the two Universities may exercise their Learn­ing with the Pestle, and beat out great matters in Pharmacy.

‘'But the other Objection of the unobserving People, whose memory may not serve 'em well, is that the Apothecarys sell as cheap. It is granted if they will, but do they not by their own and the Doctors Artifices in dividing, sell an Electuary of 12 d in boles for 12 half Crowns, &c. we will not quarrel at their 11 pence in the Shilling profit, but would o [...]ly prevent the return of it 40 t [...]mes in 24 hours, when the Patients advantage the least part of the Design.'’

Remark. The People don't remember (we doubt) that the Doctors told them they sell cheaper than the Apothecarys; 'tis granted they may if they will: but by the conjoint Artifices of the Doctors yet their Confederates, in divi­ding they enhance the price of an Electuary from 12 pence to 12 Shillings; but they could never have done it, if they had not sound their advantage by the Doctors frequent Repetatur's, tho I hardly believe every half hour, tertia vel quarta quaque hora being commonly the most.

But the last and vilest Objection is, ‘'That the Subscribers to the Dispensary are not as Eminent as the Physicians, the Apothecaries Favorites: 'Tis own'd they can make famous or infamous by a few Cabals and Visits; but is there any part of Physick, even Poetry, which these Gentlemen can't pretend to as well as the other, who distrust their own merit by courting their favour, putting themselves in their service, and plying them, as Porters a Shop of the Largest Business?'’

Remark. The Eminence of Physicians now adays, does not indeed result from real Worth or Accomplishment, but may arise from the Report of Men, that talk even like the Apothecaries. But the Dispensary, and the other Physi­cians (I believe) are indifferently the same, some wise and some otherwise: but that Poetry should be counted a part of Physick, and with a even, as if it were the Culmen Artis, would have been a strange fancy till of late. I think Mr. Colebatch, and his Antagonist (however their Acids and Alkalies stood affected) agreed in this, that tho Poetry is a very pretty accomplishment, yet a Poet and a Physician are vastly different. Letter to a Gentleman concern­ing Alkaly and Acid.

But it must be acknowledged, that to get Business is a valuable part of Phy­sick; and to have written a Poem has not long since for some time com­mended some late Doctors more than all their Cures, and other fine Qualifica­tions.

‘'But it was not till after a long Discourse (he says further) that our Doctor or Merchant, could penetrate into the more abstruse and secret design of the Dispensary.'’

Remark. Now comes the Mystery, which he was not (being but a Pupil) to be presently let into, or capable of apprehending.

Remark. There are several things very observable in this secret and absiruse Design.

• 1. That in usual and common Diseases, people would recover by the Strength of Nature.
• 2. That even in these Diseases, something must be done, or there is nothing to be got.
• 3. That he that takes no Fees can't be well paid for looking on the Patient, unless he can perswade him to take a great deal of Physick.
• 4. In Diseases that are dangerous, when Nature is weak or raging, it can be saved only by one Crisis.
• 5. That many doses of Physick given, whether hot or cold, will divert the Crisis, and bring certain destruction.
• 6. That great Numbers are kill'd by Physick, which would have recover'd without any.
• 7. That the Remedy of this pernicious Practice can be had only from the Dis­pensary. In these particulars, we have more couch'd than at first one would be readily aware of, and the Oracle that gave this abstruse account hath shew'd an uncommon sagacity, which will never permit me to think there are not Men of great parts in the Dispensary.

The Grand design of these Sophi is to get those Patients that will recover by the strength of Nature, or whose Diseases will terminate by a Crisis with­out Physick, that is, all the common and most numerous Disorders, with the acute Diseases, which is certainly the most advantageous Practice: And doing nothing but a small matter, for a Colour of Merit, that people may not think they give Fees for nothing, will not quickly expend the Drugs, and Medicines in the Repository; but a small Stock will carry on the Shop-trade, tho they should sell as cheap as they pretend: but this is not all, there is commonly more cre­dit got by curing those Diseases that need no cure, or will terminate soon by the efforts of Nature; for when the Patient is well, the Disease was this or that grievous Malady: one or two proper Directions, that is, what will do neither good nor hurt, must be given to satisfy the Patients and their Friends, or else the Fees will hardly satisfy the Doctor. Tho it is the Opinion of one of the Company, that a Physician in many cases, especially in the Small pox, [Page 11]deserves his Fees better for directing nothing, than for doing so (see Dialogue between Alkaly and Acid, pag. 71.) But I cannot conceive, why the Dispen­sary practice of doing nothing, should be the only Remedy for these Diseases; and why an Apothecary or other Physician, may not cure by the same Method. But the People being afraid of Fees in small or common Diseases, are apt to run to Apothecaries; so the Doctors lose the most easy, speedy and advantage­ous Business: But Apothecaries being as willing to grow rich as any, make them pay dear for a Multitude of unnecessary and pernicious Medicines, and so the People suffer wherever they go.

Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim, unless the Blessing of Pover­ty prevent. ‘'But they may expect (says he) this will be debated between the Physicians of the Apothecaries Party, and the Peoples; the one side re­lying on the Maxim, si Populus vult decipi decipiatur, the other on the Magna Charta of all Communities, Salus Populi suprema Lex.'’

Remark. If the College of Physicians are divided, we may expect the House cannot stand; but I think it is no just censure, that the Physicians that are not of the Dispensary, are of the Apothecaries Party, in opposition to the good of the People; for I know some that have less to do with the Apothe­caries than the Dispensary, who are only become Apothecaries themselves, or confederate with some Apothecaries of their own: nor does it appear that the Welfare of the People, and not their own advantage, is the only thing they aim at, or is more sought by them than by divers others.

‘'When it shall become sensible (adds he) how the Publick is imposed on in the expence in Sickness, and in Life it self, the Laws which now punish Offenders, &c. will at last interpose the Cure of more latent and enormous Crimes. The Faculty will have the Protection it demands, after the Per­formance of the stipulated Conditions; the Dispensary will have the publick regard, or observe its Enemies punished with Fines more than the 100 Marks, or the other more severe, the loss of Life, from Medicines in the ex­orbitant Quantities as destructive as Poison.'’

Remark. Here the Dispensary is very uppish, and threatens its Enemies with Fines, and Death; which I confess will be a greater Argument against their Enemies, than any they have yet given.

But what they mean by loss of Life from Medicines in exorbitant Quantities, as destructive as Poison, I do not know, unless they design to get an Act that whoever will not regard the Dispensary shall be poisoned by large Doses of Physick: but the Legislators ought to be very well satisfied, in the stipu­lated Conditions, that they be not only published, but that they be performed e're they make Laws against either the People, or all other Physicians.

BUT we come now to the Merchants Letter, where first he informs us, ‘'that he had a Fever, which was cured by the Dispensary Method of giv­ing but sew Medicines, and those seldom given.'’

Remark. This I confess is a good Method, if the Medicines are good; but there may certainly be a Fault as well in giving too little as too much: and I believe many Medicines prove ineffectual on this very account, and the right Method does not lie in giving little or much, but just enough, which a Man may judg of without being of the Dispensary. ‘'But this Caution gave him greater Confidence in the Art, with the Assurance he had of the Medicines being faithfully prepared and dispensed at the College.'’

Remark. What Assurance the Merchant was capable of receiving, that the Medicines are faithfully prepared and dispensed at the College, I know not; but I do not see what the People can have to satisfy them, more than their Words, which other Apothecaries also are ready to give, tho it be but a small Proof.

Remark. This whole Company of Visitants no doubt were all Merchants concerned, and advised by the Dispensary (tho some sort of Patients) and not ignorant Citizens, or else they would not have had so great Satisfaction in the Generosity of the Dispensary Design, and have seen so much into the Causes of their Quarrel with other Physicians and Apothecaries. But, I never heard [Page 13]so much I confess of their Factions as of those that divide the Nation, or that the Dispensary Men are the only honest Physicians: and tho they assume to themselves the Name of Honest in opposition, and distinction from all o­ther Doctors and Apothecaries; yet I think they cannot be very proud of it, since the Word honest hath lately lost its value as they confess, and so their Ho­nesty is of no great account.

But that the Apothecaries are supported by the Anti-College Physicians, I believe is a slip of the Pen; it should have been Anti-Dispensary Physicians, for none use Apothecaries so much as those of the College.

But let us hear the Particulars.

‘'The honest Physician is obliged by the Trust reposed in him by the Pati­ent, and his Interest in the Success, to take care that the Medicines are effec­tual, and faithfully dispensed: if the Instruments are not good, the effect of the Advice is lost; by a mistake in weight or measure, the Life of the Patient is destroyed.'’

Remark. What the Merchant says here is certainly very true, but the Dis­pensary Physician cannot with any Modesty assert himself the only honest Physician, if the word be took in its usual Sense; and others are as much ob­liged in Conscience and Interest as he; and I have known an honest Apotheca­ry faithfully dispense an effectual Medicine according to the reputed honest Doctor's Prescript, to the destruction of the Patient; who had he known the Case, would never have done according to the Doctor's Order, nor have let the deadly mistake in the Dose, which was merely the Doctor's, have its ef­fect.

‘'But the Apothecary (adds he) neglects his Duty to the Physician and the Sick; is rarely in his Shop, prepares few Medicines, but buys them under great uncertainties; trusts raw Apprentices to select the Ingredients, and measure the Proportion in the Prescript.'’

Remark. This cannot justly be said of the Apothecaries in general, some of them are as honest as any in the Dispensary no doubt, and not guilty of these Crimes. But,

‘'The People, he says further, who are not acquainted with the Dispensa­ry, of two Evils chuse the least as they think, by using the Apothecaries, believe they save the Doctors Fees; tho the Medicines brought in in little Parcels, &c. rise to a greater Sum 3 in 4 in most Cases, than both Advice and Physick in most Diseases.'’

Remark. This I believe is too often true, but ought not to be a universal Charge; and it has been too often found that the Doctor has taken more for Fees than was necessary for Physick and Advice too. But says he,

‘'The Associate part of the College, seeling the Apothecarys power in Fami­lies, readily come in, or are forc'd to serve under 'em, on condition they for­ward the increase of the Bill, and raise their Ability to advise, to an equal pitch with their own: by both which the Apothecaries interest is more confirm'd and improv'd.'’

Remark. This is a very great Scandal to the greatest part of the College, none being excepted but the Dispensary; but they have one commendation these o­thers want, viz. that they raise the Ability of the Apothecarys to advise e­qual with their own, which shews they are not so selfish as others; and if the Apothecary be as able to advise, I see no reason why he should not: And by this the Peoples interest will be confirm'd and improv'd as well as the Apotheca­ries.

But he continues, ‘'The Design is therefore to revive the former Practice of Physick, particularly that of Lower and Sydenham, who had greater success with fewer Remedies than now are forc'd upon the People: or rather to expose the Method the Physicians and Apothecaries use to themselves and Friends, of avoiding carefully the Excess by which innocent things become destruc­tive.'’

Remark. The Practice of Lower and Sydenham can't well be call'd the former Practice, nor is the methed of Practice so much altered since their time, nor could I ever hear of their extraordinary success above other Physicians; I believe they us'd but few Medicines, for to do them justice they knew not many, having none of the profoundest skill in Pharmacy: But having great Names, perhaps in some cases great Expectations might alter the Patients, with a very small matter beside. But if the Design be to expose the Method Physicians and Apothecaries use to themselves and Friends, of carefully avoiding the Excess, &c. it is a Commendation, and they will be willing to be expos'd, whether Dispensary Doctors, Apothecaries or others. He adds,

‘'But the Dispensary designs to convince the People by their experience, that the most useful and effectual Remedies are of no great Price.'’

Remark. But then it must be taken for granted, that they have the most use­ful and effectual Remedies, which we know they have not; tho they offer to sale their Arcana's in their Bill lately dispers'd. Nor will I grant that the most useful and effectual Remedies are of small value, or ought to be sold for a mean Price, unless the Fee makes amends.

He goes on saying, ‘'The Publick will soon be sensible that the Expence in almost all Diseases per Diem will be of one, two or three Shillings, instead of so many Pounds, &c. and that their Distempers will sooner yield to a few well prepar'd College-Medicines, than to the decay'd, vicious, and adulterate of the Shops; and the Physicians Reward and Remedies too come far short of the Total of a long Bill.'’

Remark. It is a hard matter to say what the daily Expence of all Diseases will be; but it is the usual Method of Traders to pretend to undersell one a­nother, to get custom; but they propose Advantage by it: and we must under­stand this rate is to the Poor. But how any will be assur'd Diseases will yield to College-Medicines sooner than to others, or that they will be well prepar'd, I know not, or how they can say shop-Medicines are decay'd, vicious, and adul­terate, yet those in the College-Shops will never be so.

But says he, ‘'The Dispensary can't fail of universal Approbation, when the People reflect that they have in many Cases used the Method they recommend, preparing in their Houses the white Decoction, Infusions of Rubarb and Senna, &c. or using the common Cordial Waters, Spirits, and Tinctures bought of the Druggist, Chymist, or Wholesale shops.'’

Remark. The Dispensary (or Merchant for 'em) now assures it self, and that infallibly, of a universal Approbation, when once the People reflect that they han't only imitated the Apothecaries keeping Shops and selling Medicines, but used even the peoples Method (which must needs be good) in preparing the white Decoction, Infusion of Senna; Grand Remedies, and wisely prepared no doubt! but Cordial Waters, Spirits and Tinctures bought of the Druggist, Chymist, or Wholesale shops, they cry down in the Apothecary, but imi­tate in the People.

‘'But when its Use (he says further) shall become more publick, their ge­nerous Charity and regard to Mankind will be loudly applauded; and the Advantages from it to this City allow'd to be greater than all the Royal mu­nificent Hospitals in Europe.'’

Remark. Ingens Gloria calcar habet, I see; but Charity and Philanthropy usually begin at home, and where it appears it ought to be applauded.

That the Dispensary may possibly be of more Advantage to the City than all the Hospitals in Europe except its own, I readily believe; but whether it will be any to it, or themselves, is yet doubtful.

‘'This is the short view (says he) I could take of the present and future State of Physick (obvious to every one that will confider his own interest, or not be very unwilling to be inform'd) but because it is an affair of the greatest Concern of our Life, your Friends oblige me to consult you, and report to 'em your Opinion of the grievous Distemper, and the most probable methods of curing it, with an unanimous Resolution to support and encourage a Design, by which all Conditions of Men are equally obliged.'’

Remark. This is the view which that Merchant and his Friends could take; but how this present and future State of Physick is so obvious, and in relation to the Dispensary an affair of the greatest importance, I don't see. Well, but the Merchant is oblig'd to consult the Physician, with a promise of the unanimous Re­solution [Page 16]of the Merchants to support and encourage the Design: but I am afraid since the Merchants have been lately found guilty, and punished for promoting Designs, they will not be so free or able for the future to oblige all Conditions of Men.

But, we come to the Dismal Account which the Merchant received from the Physician of the Barbarous treatment of the Sick, so far as his Memo­ry would serve him.

‘'That we are impos'd on more than any other Nation in all the Arts that relate to Life and Health.'’

Remark. We are like to be impos'd on still, if some other Method be not esta­blished than that the Dispensary proposes, being no way assur'd we shall not be impos'd on by them.

‘'That the common and most useful Remedies are put upon the People at a Rate, in most fifty times, in many one hundred times more than their intrin­sick value.'’

Remark. The common Remedies are not the most useful, nor are the most useful put upon the People; but the intrinsick value of the most useful Reme­dies are not known to the Dispensary, they being ignorant of them.

‘'That the exorbitant Expence ruins the Poor, and deters them and the Rich from a just care of their Health, to avoid oppressive Treatment, subse­quent Diseases.'’

Remark. Exorbitant Expence, if the Poor can expend it, will ruin 'em no doubt; but I should think the Fear of it should not deter 'em or the Rich from, but fright 'em to a just Care of their Health: yet if the just Care of Health be to fee a Doctor, or go to an Apothecary, I am apt to think either of them will be somewhat chargeable.

‘'To hide these Exactions from the People, the Apothecaries allow none to practise with 'em but who betray their Profession, countenance a vast quantity of Physick destructive, and support exorbitant Rates in the Bills: Phy­sicians are brought into all Families by them, and writing well is the Lan­guage for writing very long Prescriptions.'’

Remark. That some of the Apothecaries are guilty of some of these practi­ces I don't question, but I think they charge too General; indeed, I have heard the term of Writing Well thus interpreted, and have heard that 2 or 3 A­pothecaries have engaged with a young Physician to cry him upon condition he would thus write well: but such things ought to be discover'd, who and when, and punish'd.

‘'The Esteem of the Profession is sunk by the Scandal of all the Deaths in the Town thrown on Physicians, who are rarely consulted but when the Case is made desperate by the Apothecaries, and the Patient takes the Prognostick [Page 17]of Death from the Change of Advice, and is deprived of that assurance which is the greatest support in Sickness.'’

Remark. The Esteem of those that profess to save Lives must needs sink where they are thought to do nothing, or to kill; and wherever the Work lies be­tween two, one will blame the other. I have heard the Apothecary say, such a one died Secundum Artem; and the Dr. is not always wanting to blame (or at least insinuate a Fault in) the Apothecary: but the Reason why persons so rarely consult the Physicians is their own fault, because they will not proportion their Fees to the Capacities of the Patients, or more commonly advise freely. Fox a Patient to be afrighted with Death, in some cases is very prejudicial, in some beneficial: a well grounded Assurance much promotes some Cures, and the Con­fidence of an ignorant Physician many times does more than his Prescripts, or even than those of the more knowing.

‘'That the Study of Art is neglected, because the Diseases are by ill treatment forc'd into unnatural Symptoms, and differ from all those your Authors treat of: there are in the Books of Physick no cases manag'd by an Apothecary by almost one common random Method; your Writers have been careful in this to conceal the infamy of the People and your Profession.'’

Remark. A true account of Cases duly manag'd, no doubt is of great use and benefit to Students in Physick, but I believe there are but few such Au­thors.

But, he that can't judg of a Disease by what he sees in the Patient, has not made any great proficiency in natural Knowledg; and it is a shame that Phy­sicians should confess the Study of Art is neglected, tho there were no Books; it was at first practis'd without any such helps. But it had been well, if the late Writers had been careful to discover the ill Practice of those People of the Pro­fession, tho to their infamy, that we might know what would not succeed, and what Rocks and Shelves to avoid, and not chuse to make up their Observations on­ly with Cases more creditable.

But he goes on, ‘'It is now ten years since a Committee of the honest Part of the College exposed these Grievances to the Lord Mayor and Court of Al­dermen, and had convinc'd 'em of the necessity of removing the oppression the Publick had long felt; and it was concluded the Physicians should rate the Price of Medicines in their Prescriptions. This was haughtily rejected by the Company at a Meeting in their Hall some Months after; a small Number of the Younger Apothecaries offering to comply, were compel'd with threats to retract their promises. The Committee of the Aldermen and Commons (the Apothecaries flying from that as necessary as reasonable Proposal) desir'd that the College would provide a Repository of Medicines, which will and may have, and may justly claim (af [...]r twenty thousand Bills made up there) their Regard and Protection.'’

Remark. By the honest Part of the College we must understand, the 46 Dis­pensary Doctor-Apothecaries; but how the rest will take it, to be without di­stinction counted the Dishonest part of the College, we may easily judg. It is now no new thing for some Physicians to cry down all others, even in their Morals, that they themselves may be better thought on: But how even that honest part of the College could honestly pretend to rate the Medicines they should have prescribed, I don't know, when they neither know the Cost nor Art of the Preparations; besides, unless it were the honest part of the College, they might oblige the Apothecaries as well in rating as in prescribing. Now the Apothecarys might well reject this Proposal, that a parcel of Men that did not understand Trade (being not then turn'd Merchants) should rate their Goods; and certainly those that were willing to comply, must be very young, to suppose this Proposal either reasonable, necessary or possible; but the Dispensary Doctors having so very much business need not be discontented, or so earnestly crave pro­tection; 20000 Bills one with another might well arise to 2000 l. and the Fees make, more than that Sum neat profit, which would protect them sufficiently from the attacks of 1000 Clisterpipe Men.

But he says further, ‘'The Laws of the last Age saw and provided against these vile Abuses; but our Laws are subject to the same Diseases as our selves, are fallen into the infirmity of old Age, and to be regardless of others concerns.'’

Remark. If the Laws are diseased, 'twill be well if the Dispensary can prepare powerful Remedies to cure them; but old Age I doubt will be beyond their cure, even in themselves, tho they regard only their own concerns.

‘'You allow'd (adds he) the Faculty could not want the Art of relieving it self, but one Party turns its force against another, like a vitious Composition of Ingredients of opposite Qualities has no virtue to subdue the Epidemick Malignity.'’

Remark. I grant the Faculty has always studied the Art of relieving it self, and so have the Company; and because these have been most expert in it, the Faculty complains: But the Faculty indeed is a vitious Composition, whose ma­lignity lies upon the People, it was never well compounded; even the Dispen­sary Ingredients are not without vice, nor will the Fermentation among them amend (I doubt) but rather exalt the Malignity, or the People ever be free from vile abuses till there be a new and better Prescript. He further adds,

‘'The great increase of Apothecaries is evidently the cause of all the present Grievances to the Profession of Physick, to themselves and the People. They are become 1000, ten to one Physician; the regulated Citys abroad allow no more than can make up the Physicians Directions one to ten. The Con­sequence of so great a Number can't be avoided, 900 can't possibly keep good [Page 19]Medicines in their Shops; most of the Compositions, and most of the Sim­ples often mov'd in little quantities, are subject to evaporate their most active Parts, to corrupt and become vapid and sour, or rotten and stinking. Who will believe the simple Waters, Tinctures, Spirits, Pouders of volatil parts, Syrups, Electuaries, &c. can wait and keep well, till they have their turn to be us'd, when the Shops are as numerous as the sick? they must be thrown away and supply'd anew, if the Customer can't be impos'd upon, but that will be sooner than a new Preparation.'’

Remark. It now appears that it is the number of Apothecarys that most grieves the honest Professors of Physick, and their own grief is first felt; the Apothecaries being a great many, get a great deal of the easiest business, which the Profession would have otherwise had: but if they are ten to one Physician, the College are not all Physicians; and if they were but one to ten, I believe they could not make up the Physicians Prescriptions, which are commonly large enough. But the number of Apothecaries is not the chief cause that they can't keep good Remedies, but that the learned Doctors have given them such a large and ill­compil'd Farrago of Medicines, that they will not keep good. They must have a great Catalogue of simple Waters, which signify nothing but to mix things as a Vehicle, many of which can be made but once a Year, and won't keep a Month without being corrupted, when Dr. Bates's Hydropeg. or common Spring or distill'd Water is as good; likewise of Syrups, many of which are also made but once a Year, and are apt to ferment, grow four, or be fill'd with Flies, and which is worse, are good for nothing but to clog the Stomach of sick People. The same may be said of the numerous Classes of Conserves, and Electuaries made up with Sugar and Honey. Pouders are of very different Natures, some incorruptible, others soon spoil'd, and others never good: but Tinctures and Spirits may be kept long enough unchangeable, tho ever so vola­til; and if they lose any thing of strength, a little larger Dose will do.

But a Dispensatory might easily be made of fewer and more effectual Reme­dies not easily corruptible, were Physicians or Apothecaries well skill'd in the Materia Medica and Pharmacy; but until they are, were there ever so few Apo­thecaries, the sick will be abused, while they are obliged to keep foolish things that one Doctor in 10 or a 100, or in the whole Town perhaps, has a fancy to use now and then.

Remmark. The number of Apothecaries will not much alter the Case, if the Numbers of Doctors and other People encreased alike; but if they would hauk only for the Doctors, we should not have the Numbers complained of; and if they were sewer, they would trust as much to Boys or some other Servants having more Business: but being many, and the Business divided among them, they may the better attend themselves. Many Faults are no doubt committed by Boys, in mistaking things and their Doses, and sometimes in not being able to read or understand the Doctor's bad Hand or Latin, or correct his Mis­takes as to the Dose, or things prescribed together, or the Nature of the Me­dicine, which some Masters have done e're now, and thereby saved the Life of the Patient, of which Instances might be given. But says he,

‘'The honest Apothecaries also complain and lament the Difficulties, which by the exorbitant Numbers are brought on the People and themselves; that their Medicines cannot be vented while good and fit for use.'’

Remark. It seems there are some honest Apothecaries then, even in the O­pinion of the Dispensary-Doctors, and no doubt they are alike honest to themselves, and wish there were fewer of the Company, that they might have better Trade; and if they were as factious as the College, they might destroy one another, and the great ones devour the little ones. The spoiling of their Me­dicines is from their extravagant Numbers and undurable Qualities (as before said) not the Number of their Makers.

He adds, ‘'that they and their Servants are basely used as Porters, to fetch and carry Boles and Glasses, and have not leisure in their Shops to prepare and compound any thing, but buy abroad.'’

Remark. They are Porters to the Doctors then, and why not to the honestest, who ought to send their Bills to them to encourage their Honesty, and not take the Trade out of their Hands, by setting up Shops of their own? But if they have not leisure for all their Business, it is a sign they have too much trade. But further, ‘'They are forced to advise against their Conscience, commanded by the Nurses and People to own themselves as skilful as other Apothecaries (who undertake any thing) that they may not forfeit their Business.'’

Remark. These honest Apothecaries it seems are the least skilful, or else it could not go against their Consciences to own themselves as wise as others. But it is pity, they should be so forced into Business by their Customers Com­mands, [Page 21]the honest Doctors would willingly take it off their honest Hands. A gain,

‘'That to live themselves, they must endanger the Life of their Customer; give more than they would use themselves in the same Case. They reflect with Horror at first, that they violate the Laws of their Country; subject to Fines, adjudged Felons, if they mistake the Virtue or Dose of the Medicines; obliged to set exorbitant Prices to the Poor and Servants, that the Wealthy may not discern the Difference: they are in the sad Condition of the French King, in the absurd Description in King Arthur, who was wont to make his Meals on the raw Limbs of his poor Subjects.'’

Remark. This is a sad Character of the honest Apothecarys, that they are such Sinners against their own Consciences. I cannot understand how they came to be in so much Favour with the Dispensary, as to be still termed Ho­nest, unless it be for fetching or carrying, or for their Ignorance, whereby it is supposed they will be capable of doing their Duty, or rather the Doctors less hurt in Practice: Or is it likeness-sake? But to add to their Crimes, they wan­tonly devour the People alive, which if it be true, it is a Sign their Consciences are not much concerned; and what are the rest if the honest are so bad? Yet I can hardly believe, any ever made this Confession. But further they say (if we may believe the Merchant)

‘'That the odd Confusion of their Business perplexes them, to be one Hour wiping the blistered Part, and clapping on Melilot, then giving a Clyster; next considering what to advise in a malignant Fever, then in the Convulsi­ons of a Child. The last must be done by the basest Perfidiousness of steal­ing off the File, this or that Physician's Bill they imagine to hit the Case, and save him the Trouble of seeing the Patient.'’

Remark. Still more Commendations of the honest Apothecaries, sure these are some near the College, perfidious in stealing Bills off the Files; no, I be­lieve the Crime lies in saving the Doctor the Trouble, I would say Profit, of seeing the Patient: but why he must steal a Bill for a convulsive Child rather than any other Case, I don't understand, unless this Merchant's Talent lies in cu­ring Convulsions. But if the Confusion of the Business so perplexes them, why have the Doctors so perplexed it? why have they never called for the Surgeons, or Butchers to take off the Skins of the Patients, and supply them with Melilot, and some fitter Persons to administer behind? But if these things are so great, and perplexing a Confusion, why does the Dispensary undertake the same?

‘'But 'tis obvious (he goes on) the prodigious Number of Apothecaries will in a few Years naturally increase to more than twice as many, and so on; will oblige them to increase the greater vent of Physick, and higher Prices; they [Page 22]will not be wanting in perpetual Incroachments on the Faculty, they will be plying to raise and support their Interest, &c. they will assume the cure of many thousands yearly that would have been sooner well without Physick; they will struggle first with their own Fraternity, then the Members of the College, except their Confederates; they will not bear or commend any Me­thod, but where Physick is ordered every Hour, &c.'’

Remark. 'Tis the Number of Apothecaries sticks in this Tradesman's Sto­mach, more than their Honesty, he plainly shews, not because they will be so ma­ny Porters and raise the Rates of Drugs, but because they will encroach on the Faculty, and get the Credit of many Cures, which were done merely by not killing, by which some Doctors might have raised a considerable Repu­tation.

But whether they will have the wit to learn of the Doctors, to struggle with then own Fraternity, I question, and of which this is meant, the honest Apo­thecaries or the others: but if they grow so numerous, and the College take no Care to enter Auxiliaries, I fear they will be too hard for the College, both honest and dishonest too, if their Interest ingage them against all. But still to inhance the Crimes of the (Honest) Apothecaries.

Remark. All Apothecaries are certainly wicked Fellows, if the honest ones are so bad, and the word Honest has indeed lost its value; but they do but imitate the Doctors, who will not give them a good Character, unless [Page 23]they will comply with their Interest. But it is a great Scandal to the College that they suffer such Members amongst them, that have no more Faith or Ho­nour thin Knights of the Post; that will justify what they dont know, viz. the Apothecaries Medicines and Honesty: and the Doctors are imprudent too as well as wicked, or else they never would take the Deaths of the Patients on themselves, or the Cure of them they know past cure. But it is not so obvious to the Citizens, that the Dispensary Doctors are all such as would raise their Reputation only by faithfully serving the Publick; and that all the rest oppose all such Designs to get the Favour of the Apothecaries; that they are all base Apostates from their Profession, &c. Now I think it would shew but little Ho­nesty in a Physician after his Patient's Death, to tell the Patient's Friends he was killed, or incurable before he undertook him, or that the Medicines were no [...] good, and that the Boy mistook, when of such things (tho they too of­ten happen) the Doctor is commonly ignorant. But when this honest Mer­chant was well enough to go abroad, he tells us,

‘'That he was recommending the Advantages of the Dispensary, and the Integrity of the Physicians Subscribers, but was surprized to hear many express a Prejudice against it, without desiring to know the Design of it; a notable Company about a Tea-table had been exclaiming, and said, theyd go the old way till it came more in fashion, since they did not know how many had been killed by the Apothecaries, they were easy not to find out new Occasions of Trouble, &c.'’

Remark. These were Merchants no doubt of the old Company, that were contented to trade upon the old Foundation, they had settled their Heads by a Dish or two of Tea, and were willing to see others make out their Pretensions. They were not willing to accuse the Apothecaries of Murder, unless they could prove it, lest they should bring themselves into Trouble. But,

‘'In other Visits, he was startled at the many scandalous Reports against the Subscribers to the Dispensary. The first, says he, they contemned as ma­licious and senseless Impostures; they, had too much Poetry in them for Truth. The other appeared ridiculously little, and very easily refuted. That their Physick is as dear as the Apothecaries, when we experience the Difference of 18 or 19 in 20 Shillings, their Goodness justified by the Sub­scribers Care in the Choice of every Drug, which they buy at the highest Prices; their Reputation answerable for every defect. That they have not Servants sufficient, when they can increase their Number; and the want of Hands supposes the growing Business equal to defray the charge of more. But if the Subscribers want the University Education or Capacity for their Employment, they may consult the Apothecaries List of the College, and find better if they can. If they destroy all the Patients, and the Apotheca­ries [Page 24]and their Confederates never want Success, the want of Advocates will prevent the Trial, and nonsuit the Debate. If the Remedies are not good, the abused People will seasonably complain; if they have no Business, the Dispensary will have none, and will be but a Collection of Pots and Glasses, and the Servants sufficient to shew the useless Repository.'’

Remark. The Merchant in his further Adventures, meets with startling Reperts against the Dispensary, no doubt he is concerned in supplying them with Drugs. I could wish he had given us the Poetical ones, they might have been a Diversion, if not by their Wit, yet by their Folly; but what is the matter? Poe­try is so contemptible now, which before he boasted of in the Dispensary as a Qualification with an Emphasis, even Poetry, to bring up the Rear in those that commend or belong to a Physician; now Poetical and False go together. But he should have confuted these great and harder Objections, as well as he has the little ones, to which he has answered very well, if the Merchant can a­vouch what he has said, that they will always sell at the rate set down, which I am sure will be less than they cost.

That the Dispensary always employ those that have Skill, Mr. Acid, or some other Apothecary-Doctors among them to buy the Drugs, and not trust their Boys. That they will confess every defect: That their growing Business shall not perplex them, as it does the Apothecaries. That their Members, whether they came from the Shop, or the Schools, have University Learning, and as much Capacity for Physicians as they pretend to. That they will not destroy so many Patients as Apothecaries and other Doctors. But above all, that the Patients will be sensible of the Abuses in Physick, and always complain when abused.

But he tells us further.

‘'That the People will in a little time apprehend, that their Interest as to Health and Expence is the Subject of the Controversy, and that every one is both Judg and Party, and can give a definitive Sentence as far as he is con­cerned. And here is no Law to be enacted by Majority of Voices, or re­straint to be put on the Liberty of any particular Person; he need not ex­press a childish Dread, as if he were to be kidnapt away.'’

To be plain, I am afraid the People will not soon experience that their Health and Expence, but their Expences, is the Subject of the Controversy; but we know every one is not capable of being a Judg, or so unhappy as to be a Party. The People do not see the Depths of Satan in these things, and whence the fair Invitations proceed.

Gentlemen, we do not come to impose on you, you are at your Liberty, you need not be afraid of us, we come to seek your Health, and to do for you that which others cannot: Gentlemen, take our Remedies, our famous Orvie­tan, [Page 25]and other Arcanas at a very small Price; here you have the whole Pack of 12 Remedics for the Price of one Shilling, which is inconsiderable to so great Benefits you will receive thereby; we are to be spoken with, &c. This is plausible, and takes even upon a Stage. Tom. Saffold by repeated Invitati­ons and Assurances got an Estate. But,

Remark. The Apothecaries are graceless Fellows, they don't use the Deco­rum they ought in comparing the Doctors to themselves, and do not handsom­ly distinguish between Doctor- Apothecaries and Apothecary-Doctors; but it is certain, they both not only act after the like Method, but for the same Ends endeavour to please the People; and if the Doctor-Apothecaries restore the antient Practice, they do but imitate the Apothecary-Doctors, in taking care of the Preparation, as well as the Administration of Medicines: but whe­ther either do enough to prevent all deadly mistakes, is much to be questio­ned.

The Apothecary leaves his concern to his Boy, but is seldom without the oversight, and assistance of his Man, who understands his Business, as well as the Doctor's Man at the College, or St. Martins-Lane. The one may ve­ry well do one Matter's Business, as well as the other serves 46: And he him­self understands Pharmacy better than any of the 46 Doctors, not excepting him who was bred under the acute Master at Worcester. But it is pity, either of them are forced to so much Business. If I could persuade People to Tem­perance [Page 26]and Sobriety, they should not so complain of much Business forced upon them.

The Reason why the Apothecary-Doctors value the Doctor-Apothecaries Business, & Vice versa, no doubt is, because it is good to have two Strings to one Bow, or to have Customers come in at both Doors.

But the Doctor-Apothecaries sell Medicines at the Intrinsick Value, which the Apothecary-Doctors cannot afford: but if the Doctor-Apothecaries would also sell Advice at the Intrinsick Value, they would certainly ruin their Anta­gonists; they are alike Fishers, but with different Baits, one catches by a Pretence of Advice at the Intrinsick Value, viz. little or nothing, but makes them pay so much the more for the Medicines; the other the Medicines almost at Intrinsick Value, viz. little or nothing, but expects his Gain in the Fees: and which Bait will take best being doubtful, they are between Hopes and Fear whose endeavours will ruin the other. But the Russian Army of the Apothe­caries makes the Swede tremble, yet encouraged by good Generals, they are not without hopes of Victory, and Resolution never to be taken Prisoners.

Remark. This Merchant I perceive was Broker to the Company, or Spokesman to perswade the People to buy the Doctors Remedies, and had got, as he says, many promises to consult them at the time when People are perswaded they ought to take Physick whether they need it or no, which is certainly easy Practice; and no doubt the People had cause to thank him for advising them to those that would give the least: People that are well had certainly better pay for Advice to go to sh—t when they have need, than for the directing a Purge or two; and they must needs find a difference in the Practice, that being easier than this.

No wonder the Apothecary, like a covetous dependant Preacher, is angry at him that converts his Flock into another Fold, and he has verily a great capacity to decry or recommend, as the Share of the Fleece engages him; but tho he of all Men may best know the Honesty and Capacity of a Physician, yet I readily believe he is not always infallible, but may mistake the Marks (being but small) of honest Physicians, and may readily take some of any Confederacy for Villains: but if there have not been more than five Villains rais'd by the Apothecaries, they are not so bad as I could have believed them, yet they are much to be blam'd for putting any villains o top on the People, or representing little fellows for great Men, but especially for recommending the care of the Lives of the sober People to Poets, whose bombast fictions will never cure any considerable Diseases, whether Arthurs, the Dispensaries, or John Junior's, who tho the Qualifications may recommend them all to the filly Peo­ple (who love Conceits) for ingenious Men, yet Criticks will let neither go [Page 28]without Censure, but soon discover where the Muse was up too soon, and fell into some Supine Nod or other: or when his Spirits stagnate like a Flood; or when he blazons in dread smiles his hideous Form, &c.

But the College are sure a wretched sort of Men, that some betray the rest, and the rest dare not be honest and just; and the Apothecaries are very unmer­ciful, that they will not pardon him that cures a Fever at 1 or 2 Pounds, they might have said Guineas, when I know the most Fevers may be cur'd at half the Rate, and the Doctor be a Gainer: and I believe were there nothing but the Musick it self to recommend these Artists, there would but sew dance e­ven to the Dispensary Clyster-Pipe, who I don't question have their useful Men in their concern, not only to give Clysters, dress Blister, and bleed when it is easy, but also to accommodate even the one Sex when they have a mind to a Jigg. I am glad to hear the Merchant speaks honourably of the Surgeons, and with some concern for their interest; and grant that they may mind business abroad without impediment to business at home: It is certainly as much the Surgeons concern to take care of the Pharmaceutick part as it is the Dispensaries, since they cannot trust the Apothecaries. I am pleas'd that they are sensible the Surgeons are invaded by the Apothecaries as well as them­selves, it shews they are grown better natur'd since they themselves persecuted that Party for interloping: but the huge Russian Army of the Apothecarys makes them willing to speak the Poles fair, and not pretend to turn Dr. Surge­ons too, as well as Dr. Apothecaries; If they had, I should have blam'd them for supposing the Nerves and Arteries lie between the Veins and the Skin, or that there is any need of cutting through both sides of the Vein, or that Tumors are fistu­lous before they are open, or that rotten Bones, or purulent Tumors are most painful.

‘'But after various fortune abroad (says he) I was to meet a select Compa­ny of Merchants and other eminent Citizens. I determin'd to ask their Assistance and Counsel: I show'd them your Papers, and laid before them the Informations relating to the College, and our own Interest: some were discour­sing of Treaties abroad, &c. but at mine and our Friend's request we came to debate of our own immediate concern. I was desired to give you a further trouble, to remove the common Opprobrium on the Profession, that it wants Certainty, and acts often by conjecture▪ and that more scandalous, that the A­pothecarys seeing the Patient and you at the bed side, is able to give Physick himself. And (after our assertion or the Cheapness of the best Medicines, and some contests about it) that you would, as in our Papers for sale by the Candle, give a pretty near estimate of the Value of every Preparation, and Composition or Simple now us'd in Physick. We must wait for this Account, on which the whole Controversy depends; but the Company would not doubt of [Page 29]the easy prices of the most effectual Remedies (as are fit for the Use of the Prince, now the regard of all Europe) many of us having us'd of several Kinds, of which the Dose was of no great Value.'’

Remark. These were all select Merchants of this new Company (we must suppose) because their Counsel and Assistance was so necessary, and Interest the same.

But this Gentleman and his Friends were most diligent, they were for home Treaties, de laribus & focis; but that trouble the Gentleman gave 'em, I believe will indeed be found one, 'ere the Opprobria of the Profession are removed. That it is uncertain and conjectural in great part, is most certain, and granted by all knowing and modest Physicians; but it's certainly asserted by none so much as the Ignorant, and those that are willing to deceive the People. I don't see how it should be thought the greater Scandal, that the Apothecaries by seeing the Patient and Docto [...]s at the bedside can become able to give Physick; for were it so, it would argue the Artist certain, and the Art easy: and that all that have to do with the Sick should be able to give Physick, would certainly not only be a credit to the Profession, but safe to the Patient; for one may recti­fy anothers mistakes. But I believe here lies the scandal, that the Apothecary being skilful sometimes is forc'd to discover the Doctor's defects in Care, in Prog­nosticks, or in Pharmacy, &c. In which last I think they have discovered ig­norance enough, and that they have not the best Medicines, their Pharmacopeia being their standard, which is one of the worst Collections in the World. But it is pleasant that they talk of selling their Medicines by inch of Candle. And I believe we may wait a great while, 'ere these Merchants will give us an estimate of the value of every Preparation, Composition and Simple us'd in Phy­sick; it will be so laborious and difficult a work, they will not have time to pre­scribe. If the whole Controversy depends upon this, it will never be at an end: but the Company have been us'd so kindly in many things, they don't doubt of easy prices.

If they are not kind to those that are to carry on the Trade, it would be strange. But that nothing but such cheap Physick should be fit for his Majesty, looks as if they thought him poor, or not to deserve the more precious Remedies, or at least would have him furnisht out of their stock. But he goes on,

‘'After their lamenting the Poor, and the vile treatments of others, they re­solved they would make their Acquaintance sensible of the generous Design of the College, and engage them to the most industrious publication of its Use, the only Panacea to the Sick; they would not doubt to convince the most ob­stinate and heedless Opposers.'’

Remark. If these Gentlemen had not made so great a noise about the Poor, and shewn such great industry in inviting to buy their Panaceas, one might have [Page 30]believed something of their Generosity. But Mankind now adays are not so immoderately desirous to serve one another, much less those that have most need; we cannot but in charity think these Merchants are most willing to re­lieve their own Poor, who are not so hard to be convinc'd of any thing that may tend to their benefit. But,

‘'He goes on to tell us what the Apothecary must do, he must be obliged to keep his Shop, that all his Medicines may be made at home, and dispens'd with his own hand, or under his careful inspection, that his Apprentice may be imployed to learn his Trade, and be taken from the giddy ambition of ap­ing a Profession a little too far removed from his. That our Servants shall be sent for the Physick, and Directions shall be left at our Houses by the proper Hands; each of us sending our Porters, the hurry and confusion may be ta­ken off the Apothecaries and then Servants, by which many Patients Physick be­ing convey'd at one time, the deadly accidents that often happen may be avoid­ed. Our Messenger will find the Shop sedately forwarding their Affair, eve­ry one will wait the Mixture for his Master, by which the Possibility of a Mistake will be prevented.'’

Remark. It is very hard that the Apothecary should be oblig'd to keep his Shop, since the Doctor is resolvd to send all his Bills to the Dispensary, and to undersell him in Medicines. I know no way the Apothecary can take, but to undersell the Doctor in Advice, and he may trust his Man to make up his Reci­pe's as well as the Doctor can his at the Dispensary, the Case being the same. The Profession of Physick, which the Apothecarys Boy is so ambitious t̄o ape, I agree has been too far removed from Pharmacy; and the Doctors do well in aping the Boy that would bring them together, which ought not to be separate. But Porters, tho they may carry greater burdens of Physick at once, are not the fittest Messengers to convey the remedies to the Sick; he that makes up a Bill, may sometimes save a Lise by seeing the Patient. I have known one lost 'ere now, which had the Apothecary's Boy seen, the Patient would have been saved.

But if these things were done, he further adds:

Remark. 'Tis a thousand pities the College have so many temptations to debauch them from their duty to their Patients. But it seems the Apotheca­ries, as bad as they are, have been the happy occasion of reforming the honest part, by setting them an example of prescribing their own Remedies; and 'tis but just the Doctors should have a little Concern lest their increase in Numbers should ruin them. But yet the Doctors are so sensible of the Debauchery of the Apothecaries as well as of their own, that they dare not trust them with the recommendation of a Physician, lest they should not recommend one of the honest part who would send the Bills to the College. The visible Success of his Art is certainly the best Character whereby one may choose a Physician; but if this were the only rule, none would have ever been chose, for no Man has success either in Curing or Killing till he has had some experience, which all our Doctors at first can't but want. Nor can the Apothecary be sure who he shall have the best success with till he has tried him, unless he had preingag'd the young Doctor to prescribe largely, on condition he will cry him up, which is a Practice I must confess I have heard of. But how the new Company will enable or oblige the Old, and all Interlopers, to rate the Prescripts, I can't see, or how they can pretend to it, with better reason than the Apothecary might rate the Doctors Fees. But if they could oblige the Patients to pay ready money, and leave the vile Custom of going upon tick, not only the Apothecary but honest part of the Doctors would be oblig'd; yet if it were to be only at the recovery, none of the Merchants I believe would keep open shop long. How they will be able to prevent the People from sipping other Cordials or Usquebaugh when they have a mind to it, or the Apothecary from selling of it, a modest Gentleman may well doubt. But he gives us something considerable as sol­lows.

Remark. Now starts up at last a Lyncean Merchant, that can see the Men at their Bottle between two Stone Walls, and he doubts how the Wit and Banter of these Bacchanalian Phanaticks will be repelled: But I think this Gentlemans Opticks not so admirable; tho he could see so far, he cannot see very near; for childish wantonness of Thought, and Deviations from good Sense are very uncouth Characters of Wit and Learning, and very unlikely means to bring Men into esteem; and the Signature ought to be taken not from such Qualifications, or any of equal Importance, but something above want of Sense. The skilfullest Pilot, and most grave and learned Judg is certainly to be trusted with the Ship and Cause: And the manner of the Doctor's weigh­ing the Case, whether with Wit or none, is to be considered by those that have Wit enough to do it, and how induced by Apothecaries, Visitants, or whether by the Brokers to the old or new Company; which done, it will be better gues­sed, who is likely to merit applause; and he that does indeed do so, will most put down the Infamy Physicians have so often merited. But,

How to keep People from dosing themselves, and so making work for the Doctors, I do not know, as long as there are so many Medicines exposed to sale. That the Apothecaries should hinder Dissections, to me is a Mystery, if the Friends are willing: or how the Doctors are so sure to find the Bolusses sticking in the Passages of the Heart, or the Viscera corrupted, I don't know: such things I have known as positively asserted by them, as if they had been Ora­cles, or had the famed Eyes of the Lynx, but Dissection has discovered their Vanity. If all Merchants will controul their Families by the Direction of the Dispensary, and persuade their Friends to their Resolutions, the Apothe­caries will soon be outed. Well but he goes on. ‘'When we were about to part, one of the Society, that had been silent some time, expressed himself with some heat from the relation he had to some of the Faculty; Let us not [Page 33]lose this only Opportunity of raising the Reputation of one of the most useful, and learned Professions, when our Interest is inseparable from theirs. Shall we look on unconcerned, when the Faculty and our selves are enslaved, and opprest by the Number of the Apothecaries, originally their Servants? What is the Mystery, but a Mechanick and handicraft Trade? They act no­thing but by the Ordinance and Direction of the Physician; the Medicines are all from their Appointment, the Drugs poudered, boiled, distilled, and mixed by their Order; What Books or Languages are understood by them, but the Dispensatory, or Receit Book? The Cook, Confectioner, and Perfumer have as much pretence to Learning, or the Knowledg of the Uses of what they prepare. Have not our Servants the Skill to make up our Domestick Re­ceits, many of them the same as theirs? The Under-Servant to the Chy­mist's Laboratory, while he cleanses the Glasses, attends the Fires, speedily discerns the Mechanick Part; tho the Design and Process were given by the incomparable Mr. Boyle, or the Faculty, and the Uses only known to the sa­gacious Physician. We pleased our selves at parting, with the great Repu­tation, that worthy Gentlemen had given to our Country, with the learned of all Nations, which will last with the late Discovery of the Circulati­on.'’

Remark. The whole Company of these Merchants without doubt were re­lated to the Faculty, or they had not been so warm in the Concern: But this Gentleman had been long musing, and he thought it necessary to add a little heat at last, it being the only Opportunity to raise the sinking Reputation of those, who have so long professed themselves one of the most useful, as well as learned Professions; but I find the chief Cause of his heat was, the insepa­rableness of their common Interest, which I the rather believe, because he a­grees with the rest, that it is the number of the Apothecaries that is most dan­gerous, and not the Honesty of those rascally Mechanicks formerly their Ser­vants; Davus perturbat omnia. But I must beg the Doctor's Pardon a little: the present Venders of Medicines were not Doctors Servants, tho that was the Original of the Trade; but those Doctors, whose Servants turned Apotheca­ries, were a sort of Men who very well understood Pharmacy, which the pre­sent Dispensers did not till a few broken Apothecaries came to be Doctors a­mong them. But the old Blades thought handy works no Disgrace: Paracelsus the proudest of them thought the highest Title he could bear, was that of Mo­narch of Mechanical Arcanas. If the present Apothecaries do nothing but by the Ordinance and direction of the Physician, why do they complain? but perhaps it is not the honest Physician's Orders they act by: I am sure it is not the Orders of the skilful they obey in their Receit Book; if they had, there would not have been so many insignificant and foolish Medicines there, and so [Page 34]few good ones, nor the secundum Artem wholly left to those ignorant Me­chanicks, in which there often lies more than in the Receit it self. But as to Language, I will engage to bring Apothecaries that understand more, even English, than some of the Learned Doctors of the Dispensary, besides other liberal Sciences. Many of them, it must be confessed, are ignorant enough both in Language, and Cookery; but what shall be said of the Cook, Confec­tioner, or Perfumer, that knows not the uses of what he prepares, or of the Wit that can suppose them such ignorant Artists? Nor I believe would the Gentleman esteem the Mechanick Part of Chymistry so very easy, if he un­derstood it: for I must tell him there is more Art even in making a Fire than he seems to imagine; and the incomparable Mr. Boyle, had not he and his Operators too understood the Mechanick Part of some Processes better than the Faculty, he would never have hid his Design in them, whatever the Faculty might by chance have stumbled upon. But the Doctor proudly assuming to the Faculty the sole Knowledg of the uses of Medicines, thereby ungratefully denies it that excellent Person, for the pleasure he created them in the Repu­tation be singly had given the Nation, by making it not wholly ignorant in ex­perimental Philosophy, the chief Basis of Medicine.

SO much for the Merchant's Letter, or the Doctor in disguise. We come now to the unmasked Physician's Answer. Let us see if we can find any thing more like the Product of a Pen used to prescribe the best Medicines; and he answers the Drugster as follows.

‘'Sir, I perceive you lay the greatest stress on the last enquiry of the low Prices of Medicines, because you observe that the large Bills of the Apothe­cary are the best Argument with the People of his Ability to advise; and while they believe the Disease is treated very much by guess, they are not ve­ry solicitous who throws the Dice for their Lives: but you rather make choice of one, who has made it his only Business, has studied, and practised all the Artifices of making them run to his purpose, than any common Hand.'’

Remark. If the large Bills of the Apothecaries are the best Argument with the People of the Apothecaries Ability to advise, I do not see how so much stress can be laid on the Doctors selling a few Medicines at low Prices; that which argues the Ability of the Apothecary, should methinks also argue the Skill of the Doctor: but the Doctor here talks too much like an Apotheca­ry, or something else. It cannot be denied that both Doctors and Apotheca­ries [Page 35]use their Medicines very much like Dice; but whether the Doctor or Apo­thecary has got more Artifices to make 'em run to his purpose, is not easy to say: I believe both have more than are good, he that pretends to sell cheap does it to get more Customers; he that sells dear, does it to get the more Money, and both have the same Design. But it is very true, there are some uncommon Gamesters.

‘'Further (says he) you will not deny that every Art has the means to attain its End. This is obvious in Manufactures, which are made better or worse, according to the Skill of the Artificer. There are other Arts, whose Sub­ject is perishable from Causes above the Power and Controul of the Art, which Events are not imputable to the Artist. Navigation will conduct a Ship to the Port, but Storms, Rocks, &c. may lose the Ship. The Husbandman and Gardiner act with prospect of Success, but extreme Rains, Drought and Blasts destroy their hopes. The Physician pretends to know with as much certainty how animal Life may be preserved, and by what means endangered, as they the Health and Growth of Vegetables. You may make an estimat to what Proportion animal Life may be prolonged, by observing that the Periods of the Lives of many Quadrupeds and Birds are supposed to be distinctly known.'’

Remark. The Physician could have been contented to have his Art thought as certain as others, and he might have persuaded the Merchants that so it is, if he had not unluckily dropped that modest Word pretends, which makes some think, it is indeed but a Pretence. But I hope he would not cunningly insinuate, that the bare Supposition of the Knowledg of the Periods of the Lives of Beasts and Birds, is the way to estimate what Doctors can do. Let us hear what has been supposed in this matter.

But I hope he would not have the Merchants think, the new Dispensary-Doc­tors can make Mens Lives as long as these supposed Periods. If they could so do, they would be rare Fellows, but bitterly pestered with Practice.

Remark. Either the Doctor is mistaken, or Virgil, a better Poet than any of them, whatever Galen is: but under all, the Doctor's Intent is to persuade us, that Dispensary Physicians can prolong Life. That Physicians do so truly define and describe Diseases, or have such certain Experiences of their Cures, I must deny: Authors differ; if they did not, yet Men of great Business read but little, and remember less, and he's a very rare Fellow indeed, that has a Promptuary in his Noddle to serve him on all Occasions; but whatever may have been done by former Physicians, ours are quot Homines tot Sententiae (except in some very common Cases) both in their Definitions, and Pre­scriptions for Diseases, as any one will find that shall consult divers Physicians se­parately, and compare their Accounts of a Disease and Prescriptions for it; one will say 'tis this, another that; one will prescribe one thing, another ano­ther. But he says farther,

‘'You cannot doubt the efficacy of the Instruments in Physick, when in many Cases the rich Cordials given improperly, or in large Quantities, act as Poisons, and then in a little longer time as visibly destroy; when the over dosing Vinous, or other Spirits, fire and inflame the Blood and Spirits: Opi­ates stop the Motions, the Bark checks the ferment of a Fever, which cannot be cured but by Expulsion of the Venom: the effects of Vomits, Purges, Diaphoreticks, are owned by the vulgar Experience. The late but surer force of Labour, Temperance, Rest, have been formerly owned in the most ob­stinate Diseases. They are now rejected as the most nauseous Physick, and the most difficult to be complied with: I need not acquaint you with the Mineral Waters, which are able to cool, and dilute, and purify the Blood, after it has been heated and corrupted by modish Living. Nature discovers to the Physician its surest Methods of dismissing the most common Fevers, by Bleeding, Sweats, &c. In the more difficult, it gives Indications how it would be assisted or directed; at least our Magazines of Observations can­not sail to furnish in all Cases parallel to them.'’

Remark. That even Cordials may so easily act as Poisons, and destroy, methinks is no inviting Argument of the efficacy of Medicines; nor can this appear but from the Errors of Physicians, who have found it so, which is no [Page 37]great Credit. Tho the effects of vulgar Medicines are known, the Time and Case where such effects should be produced; is not so well perceived. Labour, Temperance, and Rest are certainly excellent Preservatives, but in ma­ny Diseases cannot be used: When a Man cannot so much as sit up, to pre­scribe him Labour; when he is delirious, to order him to go to Rest, would be very good Physick, if he could take it; but it is indeed difficult to be complied with, barely by the Doctor's Order. It is not so certain to the Mer­chants, whether, and when the Mineral Waters do good or hurt: It was the Judgment of Mr. Boyle, that they do more hurt than good, taking one time with another; and it seems to be the Opinion of one of his Scholars, that all the real Benefit got by drinking the Waters, comes merely from the large Quantities of Water taken, and not by the Minerals wherewith they are impregnated and defiled; and he advises Persons rather to drink at some pure Spring. Letter to a Gentleman, of Alkaly and Acids, p. ult. But the Air, Com­pany, Diversion of those Places, may add very much to the Health of the Persons, which is used to be attributed solely to the Waters; tho all this would not cure a Man, whose Blood is corrupted. Nature's Indications are not al­ways observed or understood by Physicians, or always followed; but the Mode Practice prevails above them all: And the Magazines of Observations are not always open, or resorted to by Physicians; but while a Man is looking for a parallel Case, the Patient is often dead. A Physician ought to have a better Rule, than the running to his Study to know what to do, where he is not sure to find a true Parallel; the Author might be mistaken, and not give a true or faithful account: Authors are apt to be somewhat guilty of the Crime of the petty Sorcerers, who make their virulent Medicines all Panaceas, if you will believe the Catalogues of Cures confidently affirmed in the Bills; when very likely the Disease never was worse, or so bad as they make it, if the matter of Fact related had any Truth in it at all. He goes on:

‘'But if the Patient is overheated, and surfeited by too many Medicines; if the salutary Looseness be stopped too soon, the Humours fix by Opiates, or the Bark, it's imputable to the Adviser, not to the Art, which has given the strictest cautions on the like Conjunctures. It is not a reproach to the Art, if there are wanting Remedies equal to the Rage or Violence of some Dis­eases, which will not wait the effect, or are above the Force of any known Drug that can be brought to oppose them, any more than to the Statesman, General, or Counsellor, when he cannot always warrant Success. When after the steady use of Liquors which give a briskness to, but inflame the Spirits, spend the Strength of the Blood by heating it, give Life a pleasant but quick­er Motion, the Liver and other Parts shall be made scirrous and abcessed, the Omentum rotten, the Fibers flaccid, shall the Art be accused, that can­not [Page 38]keep the Machin a going where every Wheel is broken?'’

Remark. If the Art of Medicine were so certain as the Doctor would per­swade his hoped-for Patients, the Artist would not so often overheat, yea or o­ver-cool, or surfeit his Patients by so many Medicines: It will certainly be the Advantage of every Artist to do his work with the fewest Tools, all the Cauti­ons that they give one another are hardly sufficient, fixing of Humors is what a Chymist would be glad to see the Doctor perform. To suppose there are Re­medies wanting to equal the Force of any Disease, is to reproach the Author of Nature as if he had not goodness enough to provide a Remedy for every evil, or as if his Goodness were not greater than all Evi [...], and to excuse the Artist who ought to be blam'd that he hath not found out sufficient Remedies, but lazily leaves them unknown.

Some of the Doctors themselves are steady Drinkers, but I believe never a­ny of them were found with scirrous Livers, rotten Omentums, or flaccid Fibers caus'd by the briskness of the Blood. But if all Artists may be accus'd of de­fects, it signifies not much what the Art is suppos'd; 'tis the Artist, the Patient must stand or fall by. He farther says,

‘'That the tendences and events of the Symptoms, and the Issue of the Dis­ease may be known, and a probable Prognostick given, is own'd by the for­wardness of the common People to give their Opinions. How often have you believed the presumptuous Valuer of himself, who doubts every ones knowledg but his own; when he has assur'd you, had he come sooner the Patient had not died; that another would have expired the next Day, if his advice had been wanting? The Writers of Government prove the Maxims of State from the Axioms of Physick, that one Part overnourisht, starves and enervates the others: That when every Part disregards the Inte­rest of the Whole, its Dissolution is as certain, as when every Part is vitiated in a shatter'd Constitution.'’

Remark. The Doctor would fain raise the Reputation of Physicians with the People, particularly the credit of the new Shopkeepers, but he does it by un­lucky Arguments; the forwardness of the common People to prognosticate, or run to the Fortuneteller to know the Success of their Amours, Law-suits, &c. is no very convincing Argument that their Oracle is not a Cheat: nor is their Faith in the presumptuous Valuer of himself, who so positively decrees what would have, or not have been, if this, or that; any assurance that he is, or can be what he pretends. But I believe the Doctors may be certain enough in their Prognosticks of the Body Politick; that if the Apothecarys be over nourisht, they will starve the Doctors; or if the Dispensary be over fed (a [...] they would wil­lingly be) they will starve the Apothecaries and other Doctors: and if every Part disregard the Interest of the Whole, the College will soon be dissolved, which [Page 39]God grant, unless they will effectually reform. Amen. But the Doctor adds,

‘'If therefore a Physician is suppos'd to have learnt whatever has been obser­ved of the different Affections and Disorders from Childhood to Old-age, of the Sexes in all the Circumstances, how Seasons and Climates alter us, what changes are made by all sorts of Diet, to have noted the Use and Site of all Parts by Anatomy, the Virtue of Medicines by the trial Chymistry affords, but especially the Histories of the almost innumerable Diseases given by Au­thors, their Causes, Access, Progress, Events and Consequents of all Me­thods, and all Medicines, when he reflects on them, and compares them nicely with the Case under his care, you will not oppose him to a Rival who has not had Philosophical Education, or the knowledg of any Language in which Physick is treated. When you have determin'd what time is requir'd to collect from many Writers whatever is useful to the safe and successful Practice of Physick, I would desire you to state the Years wherein any thing certain can be acquir'd from the Prescripts of the Art, without the Reasons given, or any register of the Success. When Nature throws off the Common Disorders of it self, and is able to bear any sort of Physick, the Apotheca­ry plies the Sick with Medicines he does not want, to pay for attending, magnifies the Disease, and his Skill, &c. In these the most usual Ilnesses, the Physician shews his Art by prognosticating with integrity the assur'd success, which is a richer Cordial than the Shops afford, and merits his Reward. But when there shall be nodus vindice d gnus, when dubiis trepidat victoria pennis; when the Experienc'd Physician will doubt whether Nature acts to its own Preservation, or wants the Assistance of Art, he will examine the Effects of one Medicine before he risques the Use of others; the ignorant and less searful Adviser will not lose the Opportunity of filling the Patient, and the Chamber to his own advantage. These are the Cases in which all the severest, and most just Observations of the present and former Ages must be consulted: the least Errors make the Fever deadly, tho not to be discover'd but by the most consummate Artist. They only can discern when Nature, attackt in all Parts, the Spirits wasted, and Blood exhausted, is easily over-born by an active Cordial, &c. The People indeed are satisfied with the Apothecarys skill, who hears the Physicians disourse upon the Disease. Will you imagine he designs the surest Instruction to his Scholar, who will set up for a Master next hour? But he makes up the Note, and sees the Operation. The In­strument-maker, tho he make the Knife and Forceps, will not pretend to use them as the Surgeon. I will, after you have consider'd it, desire your Opini­on whether you would communicate a Specifick efficacious Medicine to the Apothecary, which he would instantly make up for every Customer in the same, or as he thinks not much differing Cases: Will any Merchant or Artificer ex­pose [Page 40]the secret of his Business? But we cannot discover our Secrets to any but our own Profession, which is the manner of applying the Medicine to the latent exigence of the Disease. Some Fevers go off, being only undisturbed, Water is the richest Cordial in others, and the rich Composition procures to others a certain Malignity. Will you value the Surgeon from the tipping of his Instruments, or from his Judgment and Steadiness of Hand in using them? The most common and simple may have a better effect than the most pompous Apparatus. The few of our costly Ingredients have been kept in use to cover the Fraud of Exaction, but specially because we please our selves, that they are designed for the use of the Grand Monde, while we pity the little People, who we imagine cannot live without them. But Providence hath otherwise provided in its grand Hospital, we are upon the Level there. The Poor do not want so much as the Rich, but may have the most valued simple Re­medies, and the best Chymical or Galenical Preparations at an expence they, or their Patrons with an easy Charity may bear.'’

Remark. A Physician that is not supposed, but has indeed learned all that has been observed of the Affections, and Disorders of the Sexes in all Ages, &c. that knows the Site and Use of all Parts by Dissections, the Virtues of Medicines by what Chymistry can do, that has at his Fingers ends the Histories of Diseases given by Authors, &c. the Consequences of all Methods and Medi­dicines, and can compare them nicely on every occasion, is rara Avis in Terra Medicorum, I dare say not ever seen in Warwick-Lane, any more than among the Glister-pipers: The Gentlemen have not many of them so much as look'd into some of these things; particularly Chymea, that coy colley-han­ded Gentlewoman, has not been courted much by them for her Gifts: and he that should insinuate himself to be one of her Followers, would not be thought likely to have had Philosophical, or Academical Education, which the Doctor is so willing to boast of against the Apothecaries. But I must needs say, neither of the Adversaries have been grounded as they ought in Philosophy, especially the Experimental; but as being an Apothecary does not make a Man incapable of it, so being of the College, yea of the Dispensary, does not necessarily include it. Many Apothecaries have attained the Latin Tongue, and something of Greek, before put Apprentice, and may improve in Language, and read the Secrets which the Doctors did; but if none of them had so done, there are English Books enough written by some of the Faculty, that could write in no other Lan­guage. Besides, if one of the D [...]spensary says true (and they are the honest Part) nothing has been written of any certain Truth,

See the Dialogue with Alkaly; and he himself writes in a [...]ort of English. The time to collect whatever is useful to the successful Practice of Physick, wherein any thing certain can be acquired, would be too long for one Man to see the end of the Process. As the Apothecary plies the Sick with Medicines he does not want, so the Doctor will not be wanting to write, where there is no need but of a Fee; or to visit, and advise some little thing or other, that the Patient may not think he sees him for nothing: he will alike magnify his Art, and the Disease, tho both be little, and will give that most rich Cordial of assured Success, which is very commonly indeed the best Medicine he gives, and gets the willingest Fee by; which he knows better than to refund, when time has discovered his Assurance not well grounded. But there are knotty and doubtful Diseases he confesses, even to the experienced Physician, when in fear he knows not whether he had best prescribe or no; he wisely thinks he does best that tampers least, and would have the Patients think such a one deserves his Fee best that has troubled them least. But [...]. says Hippocrates. Imperitia vero ma­lus Thesaurus, & malus agger Timiditatis, & Audaciae nutrix. Timidit as quidem Impotentiam, Audacia vero Ignorantiam Artis significat. The less fearful Advi­ser no doubt will physick them more briskly, that he may have the more pretence to merit, and Opportunity to get, especially if he may not take a Fee. But I be­lieve if either the fearful Dr. or confident Apothecary, vel Vice versa, should con­sult all the severe and just Observations of the present and former Ages, they would have neither time to prescribe, or make up Medicines in any acute Disease: and should the least Errors make the Fever deadly, it would be an incurable Dis­temper, nor would one Patient in 10000 be ever the better for a consummate Ar­tist, when our Age has not produced him, unless the Dispensary Dr. who says,

be the Man; such a one perhaps may discern when he has exhausted the Blood, and wasted the Spirits, and Nature will be overborn by an active Cordial. But the Doctor is afraid the People will think the Apothe­caries skilful (that Gentleman has assur'd us, his Master was not) by hearing the Doctor talk, and by making up his Medicines, and seeing their Operations; tho he assures us he has been careful lest he should give him any sure Instruc­tions: but if his Instructions by his Practice be so fallacious, he that designs to be skill'd will take a better Method to learn than the Sight of the fearful or confident Doctor's Practice can be, whose Instruments could he but know their use, as well as the Surgeon does his, there were more occasion of Caution who looks on. There has been no great danger of Apothecaries learning [Page 42]Efficacious Specificks of the Doctors, since they practise by the Dispensatory; or the Sick finding the Benefit, since it is dishonourable to give a private Medi­cine without Writing. But the manner of applying the Medicine to the la­tent Exigence of the Disease, he tells us, is the Doctors Secret; so not the Medicine it self, or its artful Preparation: yet it is to be applied to something la­tent, must we think it so to the Doctor, or is it that which is adapted to escape on­ly the Eyes of the Apothecary? May not he possibly learn what Fevers will go off of themselves, or to give them a Specifick that will only do no hurt? Cannot he disguise a sufficient quantity of Aqua simplex, or Dr. Bates's Hy­dropeg. to reckon the value of two or three Guineas for; and so save the charge of a Dispensatory costly malignant Composition? The Judgment of the Physician will never make either a bad Medicine valuable, or him so who has no good ones, any more than the tipping of the Instruments will render a Surgeon skilful, or the sweetness of the Syrups and Conserves recommend either the Dr. that prescribes them, or the Apothecary that prepares them. But a Sur­geon that knows not whether his Instruments be good, cannot be thought very expert, any more than a Doctor that knows not the Medicines he prescribes. The Doctors having but newly set up, and not made any great returns, would have us suppose common and cheap Medicines the best, that the less Stock may serve; rich active Medicines we cannot expect there, they so complain against them, they are but to cover the Fraud of the exacting Apothecaries. But that they may not lose the small Fish, the Poor are promised the most valued Simples, and the best Chymical and Galenical Preparations at a small expence; which if they cannot pay, they must endeavour to get their Patrons to do for them: but whatever of the most valued Simples may be found in the Reposito­ry, I will promise neither Poor nor Rich shall be able to purchase the best Chymical Preparations thence. He says further,

‘'To demonstrate this, I will remove the Rubbish, and lay before you the Simples of the greatest Virtue, and best Preparations, supported by the best Trials of Chymistry, and constant Experience. Gold, the great Idol of Mankind, must be rejected as useless, while it makes the World restless, and anxious to obtain it; it has in it self no active Parts or energy to procure any Effect, it is not dissolvable by any Humour in the Body; nothing there can alter it, or be altered by it: The compact heavy sluggish Parts resist the Impression of every Animal Agent, which on the other side are secure from any Power it has. The golden Pill in the twisting of the Bowels by its weight only, may open the passage, but it costs you only for the Use of it. The leas Gold on Boles, &c. divert the Mind from the Tast, only by the Pleasure of seeing it; adds nothing to the Virtue, and only a trifle to the Expence: the Leaf may lie on the Mouths of the Vessels undissolved, and it [Page 43]prevents the dissolving of purging and alterative Pills if well gilded, un­less to your good Fortune the Cover happens to be broken.'’

Remark. If the Doctor would be plain, I suppose Gold is none of the Rubbish he would have removed from the Dispensary; tho he would not have it come too much into the Apothecaries Shop. But for the Credit of Chy­mistry, and its greatest Masters, I must tell him he is not supported by its best Trials: the greatest Physicians and Chymists the World has had, affirm it capable of Preparation into very great Medicines; and even in Substance it has been supposed by no small Men, to be of considerable Efficacy; witness the famed Cure of the King's Evil, where Gold must not be omitted or laid a­side, but the Disease returns. Doctors themselves are very anxious to obtain this Rubbish, or they would never quarrel with the Apothecaries for getting it from them; and if it makes them so restless, it must needs have active Parts: quod agit agit is undoubtedly true. But methinks any Man that experiences the getting of Gold, may be sensible how refreshing it is, and how it sets all Wheels agoing. But to come a little nearer, if Gold were not dissolvable in any of our Humours, it does not follow that it may not be a Medicine; What Humour will dissolve burnt Hartshorn in the Decoct. album, Sulphur, some Gums, Woods, Stones, and other things commonly used by Doctors? But that Gold does not resist the Impression of every Animal Agent, the Doc­tor might have known if he had been something of a Chymist. That Body that the strongest Aqua Fortis will not work upon, it easily tore to pieces by the addition of a little Sal-armoniack, and then by the addition of a little Spi­rit of Ʋrine precipitated into a Pouder, perhaps the most active Body in Na­ture, viz. Aurum fulminans, which in some Cases is not a contemptible Medicine; but when it shall be opened and volatilized, it will do what the Doctor never saw performed. Whether crude Gold does either good or hurt taken inwardly, is not very apparent; I believe the Doctor never saw the Guts twisted (an Anato­mist would hardly think it possible) or was sure they were untwisted by the Golden Pill. If the Leaf may stop the Mouths of the Vessels, which the Doc­tor is not certain of, the Animal would not be secure from its Power to obstruct, which is sometimes profitable, but the Doctor be sure to contradict himself. If it would prevent the Dissolution of the Pills, it might sometimes be to the Patients good Fortune.

‘'But Bezoar (says he) is rejected by most Physicians, who think on what they advise. It has the use of the Philosophers Stone, procures Gold, or much Silver to every thing where it is a part: it adds to the Dose only two Pence; but the very Name Bezoardick makes the cheapest Boles and Juleps pass off at any Price. Large Pearls look well on a healthy Skin; but History does not tell us, that which Cleopatra drank improved her Health. [Page 44]The Pearl Juleps have their value from the Cordial Water, and white Sugar; they may take it for the suture 3 or 4 Pence the Dose.'’

Remark. The Virtues of Bezoar have not been found so great as the Value, the Doctor is right here; it may serve as an Absorbent, but other things easier to be purchased by young Shopkeepers will do. The same must be said of Pearls, unless radically dissolved: greater effects have not been found by them given in Substance, than may be procured by Oyster Shells, or the like. But I am not of the Doctor's Opinion, that the Pearl Juleps take any of their Virtue from the Sugar, unless to please the Tast, to which tho it be so grateful, it is not so to a Sick Stomach, and a Feverish Blood, being apt to ferment and trun sour: Yet if any Gentleman or Lady is pleased to make use of either of these, it is to be had at the Shop at the College in Warwick-Lane, over against Frost's Coffee-House, and at the two gilded Spires in St. Martins Lane; the Doctor assures you cheap and good. He goes on,

‘'Ambergrease and Musk are offensive to many, from the Name as well as Scent, corrupt the Blood, and Spirits, and by altering the Breath make the use in Perfumes more necessary; the Confections and Waters are more wholesom without them, &c.'’

Remark. That Ambergrease and Musk corrupt the Blood and Spirits, the Doctor has never found by any certain Experiment, I believe; but that they re­fresh the Spirits, most Authors agree with Doctor Experience. Some Persons have a peculiar disgust at the most innocent thing; but otherwise grateful Scents are very welcome to Nature, and the small Quantity that is given, they acting only by their Flavor or Odor, makes the use of them cheap enough. The Doctors need not fear the charge of keeping a little of them.

‘'Our precious Stones cost little (continues he) and are worth nothing. The Hyacinth, Smaragd. &c. finely poudred, are as useful as Glass well pre­pared: the famous Confect of Hyacinth sells two Pence the Dose; Oil of Cinnamon, or other Chymical Oils given but to few Drops, are to be e­steemed at the most inconsiderable Price in so small a Quantity. Balm of Gilead to be taken in Drops, or mixt up in Pills, these Drops will rise to about a Farthing each. Cochineal promises to impart its Colour to the Blood, and dismiss the Paleness of the Checks; but we borrow it from the Dyers, at much less cost than the former.'’

Remark. It is true, the precious Stones the Doctors have ordered the A­pothecaries to keep, and abused in Physick, are of very little worth, unless they are large; they shew the Igonrance of those that have prescribed them in their Receits, but some are to be commended for beginning to be wiser. Chy­mical Oils are of a great Value as to use, being the Essences of those Herbs that yield them, but are commonly given in too small a Quantity, or not us'd as [Page 45]they ought to produce the Effects they otherwise might. That Cochineal promi­ses its colour to the Blood, I never heard till now, or that any suppose it will tinge the Cheeks unless outwardly us'd: This notable Body is also given in too small a Quantity to discover its Effects, tho the Price of it need not hinder its use. But the Doctor had rather be in the Fields.

Remark. Vegetables distil'd simply are for the most part Simple, or no Me­dicines; can serve only for Vehicles, but when kept a little are commonly corrupted, and some way ill tasted; some fair times of the Year is more wholesom than most of their Preparations commonly in Use, if the sick could but walk out and take it. The Distilling some of them with simple distil'd Water yields nothing but simple distil'd Water, and Spirit of Wine raises no­thing from others. A good Pharmaceutick must know the Nature of the thing, [Page 46]and adapt his Menstrums, which the Learned have not well done in the London Dispensatory in many Receits: The huddling up a Farrago of different things with Honey, or Sugar, has not shown much of their skill, or the Reason of the Composition of their Pouders much appear'd. But our reform'd Doctor is of Opinion that the Ingredients insus'd in a simple distill'd Water would be more Alexiterial, and be richer Cordials than distil'd from Spirit of Wine: but I think the Doctor canot be excus'd of Ignorance here, for Spirit of Wine is certainly a better Cordial than simple Water; every Porter knows the Differ­cence between the Cock and the Brandy-bottle. But those things which are or­der'd to be distil'd with Spirit of Wine by those that know what they do, are full of oily Parts which will not be extracted, and mixt with simple Water; and to give all things in substance would so clog the Stomach with the Quan­tities of the Husks that hold the small Proportion of Medicinal Juices, that no other Effect would be produced but the Oppression of Nature. A rabble of Spices cannot be conjoyn'd by any that would have their single Virtues to be seen; nor will they be broil'd in Spirit of Wine by one that knows how to work; and a small Glass of a pure Cordial Spirit I'l engage shall remain more grateful to the Stomach of sick or well, than half a Pint or a Pint of a muddy loathsom Infusion or Decoction that will corrupt in a few days time. But I hope the Doctors of the Dispensary will not pretend to keep Oils, Ointments and Plasters, these belong to the Surgeon, unless they will be so kind also as to let him have them at the intrinsick Value, that he may no more be cheated by the A­potheracy. The Surgeon is now become the honestest fellow of all, (whatever he may be for healing those Sores that wont't be well without internal Remedies) he outdoes the Di [...]pensary Men by their own confession; he demands not so much as the cost he has been at, but is contended to be sufficiently paid for his skill, care and pains. The Dispensary will reckon 3 s. a day for Medicines; but why may not the Apothecary be as honest as either, and keep a few ordinary Herbs, and cheap Drugs, and cook them in his pipkin, and reckon nothing but for his Skill and Visits? I should think what is sauce for a Goose might be sauce for a Gander also. But says the Doctor further,

‘'You may judg of the easy expence of what we advise by another view, the various Operations. The famous Vomitive is a Penny, Tartar Emetick not a Farthing, that of the Salt no more, Oximel the Value of the first; Pills for the Head, Stomach, Bowels, of different force, the price of a Penny; the altera­tive Nephritick Antihysterical Pills made of cheap Pouders, are valuable only for the Success. I need not inform you how easily the fillings of Steel are pro­cur'd. If you infuse them with bitter Plants, or boil to a Syrup, you will readily estimate a Quart. All the Ecphractisk, or Deobstruents, and Aperi­tives, Incrassating, or Astringents, agree in their great use, and almost inexpressi­ble [Page 47]cheapness. It must be own'd the Purges of Rhubard, &c. are other­wise to be prized, but it is us'd but once a day, and not hastily repeated, &c.'’

Remark. The Doctor sets up another inch of Candle, that you may have ano­ther view of the cheap pennyworths he has at his Shop: This famous Vomit is a Penny per Dose, his head-Pills, stomach-Pills, bowel-Pills no more; cheaper than Tom Saffold's 18 for 18 pence, altho too cheap in any Man's own sense: But the other that are valuable only for their success (the true rule of valuing all Remedies) will often have no value at all. A few Doses of Iron in a Quart of Water, you may have very cheap. Aperitives, and Astringents, the Keys of our Bodies, of such great use, can hardly have any price. Rubard indeed, that so finely opens the Backdore, and shuts it after it, you must pay a little dearer for now and then; and if you meet with one of Doctor Harvey's Medici stercorarii, he perhaps will prescribe you nothing else. But he tells us farther,

‘'That out of these Drugs many kinds of Chymical Medicines are prepar'd at the Expence of only Fire, and the Use of the Glasses, in great quantities. If you pay for Spirit of Hartshorn, Sal-armon, &c. Tinct. of Castor, Amber-Saffron, the compound Elixirs, the Acid Spirits, or their Antagonists, the fixt Salts, the Vitriolate Tartar, or other digestives, one Shilling or two the ounce, you will with the Vehicle, after many days use, compute your daily expence of Physick. The Porter that drinks a cup of stronger Ale instead of many of the smaller, saves his time and his pocket, and is at a greater charge than the Patient.'’

Remark. If the Doctor had been us'd to Chymistry, he would have known that its preparations are not made at the mere expence of Fire, and use of Glasses, which were it so would not be a small Expence; in many Preparations great Fires are us'd; and Glasses serve but once, sometimes not once, but break, and lose a thing of great value: besides, there is sometimes a large expence of time the most precious thing of all, and a great deal of labour. The very Cheap­ness of the Chymical Spirits, Tinctures, fixt Salts, &c. has arose much from the Sophistication. And tho the Doctor before disliked spirituous and active Me­dicines, he now commends them by the Example of the prudent Porter who saves Time and Pocket, he might have said Heart and Belly too, by drinking a little of the stronger Ale. Medicines of active parts are really the most conveni­ent, like keen Instruments, unless they happen in the hands of Fools or Mad­men, that cut and slash they known not why. But says he,

‘'If in a Fever, the Small-pox, &c. the Physician cools the Blood, and tempers the heat, shall the Apozem of almost the Saller Herbs, with cheap sweetning Pouders, and cheaper Sal prunella, &c. and Julep of simple Waters made to tast a little of a Cordial water, raise the cost higher than com­mon [Page 48]Sapports in Health? If the Blood and Spirits are opprest in the Malig­nant, shall the Treacle, Mithridate, &c. the Aromaticks and Alexiterials, &c. be esteemed but from their effects of sweating, and heating the Blood? If the Patient be not incessantly plied, and the Physician will have care when he has done enough for one day, and will give the Patient a little rest, before he sets him another Task: If the Fever truly intermits, has no Malignity, &c. you may use the Bark only prepared by poudering, which costs no more than the Wine you drink it with. I have heard you extol the wonder­ful Force of Opiates, from your Experience, in Cholick and Nephritick Pains. 'Tis true, that Plant has no equal among the Vegetables, nor does any Metal or Mineral pretend to rival it; but the richest Preparation of this great Ano­dyne raises no in quietude upon any other Circumstance: The poor may have it as well as the richest, from a small Charity, which will give the Donor the ease it procures to the Patients pain. It is not therefore demonstrated, that in Sickness no Constitution can bear the use of more than two or three Shillings value in a Day? The dearest Cordial Waters, and Alexiterial Pouders cannot in the time be used above that Price, without inflaming the Blood and Spirits into a Delirium, and forcing our common putrid Fevers into malignant. The milder Diaphoreticks, Diureticks and Alteratives don't pretend to be rated with the other; but in our common Fevers these assist Nature, the others de­stroy it.'’

Remark. In Fevers, and Small-pox, tho the Doctor seels his Sallets and other Coolers, or his sweetning Pouders with his simple Juleps, very cheap; yet his cooling, and exhausting the Blood, and thereby checking the Motion of Nature, in casting off the Morbifick matter, often costs the Patient dear, even his Life. If in Fevers more malignant, Treacle, Mithridate, and Aroma­ticks, &c. are to be esteemed for their Virtues of sweating, and heating the Blood; how can they be condemned so in milder Fevers? And why may not the cooling Apozems be used here, where there is more heat? But why may not Doctor err in cooling, and fixing too much, assoon as in heating and dissolving too much? I should think either Method may tire the Patient, or Nature it self; but if those things are given which ought to be given, viz. proper Medicines, it is natural to suppose they ought not to be any Gravamen, but a Levamen to Nature. The Bark is most of it faise, and every Doctor does not know the true, or best way to give it; and the false will cost a Man dear sometimes. Opium is a thing of great Force, but it has a Malignity in it, which none of our common Artists know how to separate without spoiling it; if that were done, a Dose might deserve a Doctor's Fee: but I cannot yield to the Doctor, that it has not its equal among the Vegetables; there are many other Poisons as effectual, and if skilfully prepared, of good use, tho none so [Page 49]much used; nor can I be persuaded but that there are many Plants that have as eminent Virtues for their proper Ends, without so much Malignity, as Opium: Metals and Minerals, I must tell him, pretend to exceed it; the ano­dyne Sulphur of Venus has its Virtue without its Poison, but the Doctor will laught at that as a Chymera. The ignorant will deny the being of that which is beyond their Skill. But I must tell him, we Chymists have known Rest procu­red by a Preparation of Copper, when Opinium would not do it. The Doctor thinks he has demonstrated, that no Patient can well take more than 2 or 3 Shillings a day in Physick; but if he had well demonstrated, what they ought to expend in Fees for the intrinsick value of Advice, we might have had more Encouragement to come to their Shop: I wish he has shown how Cordial Alexiterial Medicines cure in malignant Fevers, and destroy in the commons and that the Mild assist Nature only in these, but not in the other. But to go on, says the Doctor,

Remark. There's now no Mystery of raising the Bill to so many Pounds, since the Doctor has discovered it; 'tis well when Men begin to have some Con­science, and discover one anothers unlawful Gains. The contrivance of giv­ing ill-tasted and fulsom, either Boles or any thing else, muddly horrid Decoc­tions and Infusions at any time, is not proper for a nauseating or well Sto­mach, a fur'd Throat, or parcht Mouth, and whatever they are mixt with, to delude the Stomach to admit them, it commonly suffers for it afterwards. I do not wonder at the Advice given to the Doctor, at his first entrance on the [Page 50]Stage; nor do I think the Mountebank, if he knew his Interest, did re­ject it. But it is a strange Character of an honest Physician, or Dispensa­ry-Doctor, that he is one that mixes his Bole and Julep together, and won't let his Patient have the pleasant relish of the Liq [...]or at last, with­out the horrid Tast of the Bole: I hope he will order hi [...] some fine sim­ple thing or other, seeing he can afford things so cheap to wash both a­way. In my Opinion it would be the part of a more honest, or at least wiser Physician, never to give any thing that will disturb his Patient. But says the Doctor,

‘'I presume you will allow the Corollary, that by much Physick divided in­to little Parcels, and rated high, the Apothecary has in the Reward of his Attendance (which by the Physician is often excused) much greater Fees, often trebly or quadruply more than the Faculty. You will not be surprised, if it be asserted, that in a Bill of 10 l. nine are the Rewards of his Advice, and Attendance. The People must accuse their own Conduct, who never gratifying the Apothecary's Visits, oblige him to bring in for every 3 or 4 Hours and several Days, as much as will answer one of the ends he proposes to himself. Can he thus neglected by his Customers, with Safety to himself advise the Waters, Milk, Temperance, Repose, Exercise, a peculiar Diet, or the Country Air, by which obstinate Diseases are cured, to the reproach of the Compositions of the Shop? But what redress can be expected to these Grievances? There must be certain Rates set to all the Medicines, with the greatest Encouragements to the Apothecaries to prepare them faithfully. They must bring their Number by the most proper Methods to be equal to the Occasion the City has for using their Preparations. The former antiqua­ted Methods must be revived, by which the People were east without the present either Suspicions, or Complaints. The Physicians lay under no Temp­tation to impose on the Publick, they advised at their own Houses in the Chronical, or less dangerous Disorders, and distinguished in their Visits the Differences of the Condition of the Persons, and Diseases; and arrived to a Re­putation, not by the basest Arts, but their Care, and the Merit of the Suc­cess.'’

Remark. The Burden of this long Song against the Apothecaries is still, that they are too numerous for the Doctors, and get as much or more Money for their Medicines, than the Doctors can for Advice. But after all this out­cry against them for multiplying the Numbers of themselves and Medicines, he confesses the Peoples Conduct is to be accused as the Cause as these Evils, by not gratifying the Apothecary with Fees for his Visits; and so obliging him to bring in so many Medicines as will answer one End he proposes, viz. a Li [...]elyhood: If the People would be but so wise, as to give the Apothecary [Page 51]his Fee for Advice or Attendance, and the College would be so good as not to persecute him for taking it, he might afford his Wares as cheap as the Shop­keepers in Warwick and St. Martins-Lanes, and might advise his Patients the most compendious and easy Method, and do for them as he would for himself, or own Family; he might keep a smaller and more select Number of Reme­dies, and advise the Waters, Milk, Temperance, Repose, &c. and live as well as the other Tradesmen, and do the People more good, and less harm at less charge, than he does by every 3 or 4 Hours Repetaturs; and cure stubborn Diseases, by hindering the Sick from taking the reproachful Physick either of the new or old Shops. But the Redress the Doctor proposes of these Grievances, I think is ridiculous, viz. the Apothecaries to encourage them to pre­pare their Remedits faithfully, and give but few of them, must have their Medicins rates at a small Price by the Doctors; which were it reasonable, could not easily be done by those Gentlemen, not yet well skilled in Drugs and Preparations. Yet this won't do alone, their Numbers must be reduced to equal the Occasion the City has for their Preparations: How shall we know what Numbers will serve, or what Occasions the City may have for their Preparations? some affec­ted Chymist would say, the City has no occasion for any Galenical Stuff; and I to be free must say, for most of it. But what are the proper Methods to re­duce them, or which ought to be discarded, that the Remnant may live, by selling a few Medicines of small Value? shall they be condemned to be hanged, and cast Lots to save one in ten? Shall the greatest Part be pressed to fight the French, put in the Front and be slain by the Sword, or the Enemy, for being so unfortunate as to possess the fair Lady Pecunia, which the ruling Doctors are so passionately in love with? But after all I must tell him, I hate this wicked monopolizing Policy of men, that would get a good Trade into few Hands: This is not the way to have the People served honestly, when they cannot go to him that will use them best; but the Commodities are ingrossed, and sold by a Combination. If the Apothecaries do increase more in Propor­tion than other People, their own Increase will destroy them, the Trade will be good for nothing, and none will put their Sons to it; but their Apprentices serving 8, when other Trades do but 7 Years, would persuade one they can­not outgrow their Trade.

What the antiquated Methods are the Doctor talks of, as desirous to have revived, I don't know. But such they must be, that the People will not easily suspect or complain of the cheat, but be easy under it, while the Doctors easily get their Money. But if such a Method were ever in use, or may be contrived, where the Physicians lie under no Temptation to impose on the Publick, that I should be for; and such wherein they might arrive to Reputation, not by base Arts, but by their Care, and the Merit of their Success, that I should [Page 52]extremely like: But I think our honest Doctors and Merchants have not yet proposed any such Method, neither shall I now attempt it, but rather expect it in the honest Country-Physician's Answer to this long and tedious Epis­tle.

SIR, that I may not wholly balk your Expectation, or neglect any thing wherein I may possibly do my Country any Service, I shall in as few Words as I can give you my Opinion of the Medicinal War you sent me an account of, and the best Methods I can think of to bring it to an end; so that the Country which is the Seat of the War, may now and hereafter feel the least of its ill effects. You know no one, that can be a capable Judg of these Matters, to be less interested than I; who have not practised these many Years with Apothecaries, or in any Confederacies; who have done nothing to oblige them, or disoblige them, or had any Dependance upon them, or any others belonging to the Faculty, for Business, or Medicines to use in it, being by Profession a clean Independent in Medicine, and so resolve to stand on my own Legs, or fall.

And I must tell you in the first Place, that I perceive the ground of the Quarrel here, is the very same as of that between the French and the Empe­ror, Self-interest, and the strongest Party I believe will never yield to any thing, but for their own Advantage; and were I Plenipotentiary in the Affair, no Articles of Reconciliation should ever be concluded between them, so as to unite them into a new Confederacy. There are too many of them combin'd still, and the single Parties at difference are either of them potent enough to be of­ten too hard for the People. What the Doctor owns in his Conclusion would be very good, could it but be effected, viz. that the Physician lie under no Temptation to impose upon the People, and have no way to arrive to Reputa­tion, but by his Care, and the Merit of his Success. It would be a happy World, if Physicians, some of the most obnoxious Men in it to Temptations, were liable to none; the rest of Men would doubtless be free. If they could not be tempted to impose on the Publick, and had no way to raise a Reputati­on, but by their Care and Success; very few I think would be of any great re­pute. But the strengthening of Parties and Confederacies, to oppress others, [Page 53]or create Dependencies, is not the way to do this happy thing for their Souls, and the Peoples Bodies. But I will tell you in few Words, the best Policy to make them honest, and secure the People, is to break both the Armiss, that not a Man of them may act but in his single Capacity; let there be none to command, none to obey, none accessary; but whosoever is capable of the Business of a Physician, let him be Principal, and act in his concern independent upon any. But to leave allegorizing, and to represent the matter to you plainly; the true Method to raise the Reputation of Physicians, and to secure the People as much as may be from any damage they might sustain by them, is this.

That every Man that undertakes to act as a Physician, be skilled in all things pertaining to the Art, and that he himself perform, or at least actually see per­formed, whatever belongs to the cure of Human Bodies; That there be no such thing as Doctor, Surgeon, and Apothecary, as distinct and dependent Faculties; but that the one Thing, the Physician, be all of them, advising, preparing, dis­pensing his own Remedies, and doing whatever belongs to a Surgeon for his Patient, with his own Hands. Here every Man will stand and fall to himself, having no dependency on others, and himself reap the Fruit of his own doings whether good or evil.

The one Grand Design of Physick is, the Recovery of the Patients; but there is a second thing, which a Physician may honestly intend, his own advan­tageous Reputation, or if you will, honourable Advantage.

To the attaining of these two Ends, as well as may be, it is most necessary that the Practitioner himself be so well accomplished, that he might act of him­self independently, and so perform whatever belongs to his Profession. That this is the only true Method of Physick, wherein its Ends may be best attained, may soon evidently appear, if we consider a little. Whosoever would deserve the Name of a Physician, ought not only to be very well read in Physiology and Pathology, but to be vers'd in Experimental Philosophy, the ground of all Physical Science: To have well studied Nature in its intire and sound State, and then to proceed to the Knowledg of its defects in order to remove them. But if a Man may be supposed to be never so well acquainted with the Phenomena and Nature of Diseases; yet if he be ignorant of Medicine, the means to remove them, his other Knowledg is to little purpose: but he will be ignorant of the means to remove Diseases, if he's not skilled in Pharmacy. If he does not understand the Materia Medica, the Natures and Properties of those Bodies that are to be used in healing, and the proper Methods and reasons of adapting them to the use of the Sick, whatever he has of liberal Learning, is to little purpose: he must be a good Apothecary, and especially Chymist, or he can never bring those Bodies he would use, effectually to perform their Ends in Nature. But if he could be supposd to understand these things in any tolerable Degree, [Page 54]without practising them, he may still be at a loss, the Remedies he may pre­scribe may not be to be had, may be only pretended, or not duly prepar'd, whereby he may lose the desired Effect to his own discredit, and the Da­mage of his Patients. What Authors say of Remedies is not always true, and their goodness often depends on a Nicety of Preparation, which by mischance, carelesness, or unskilfulness in Operation, often become good for nothing, and sometimes not only so, but virulent and hurtful. To trust to an Author for the Virtue of a Remedy we have never made, and don't understand the Nature of; to rely on an Apothecary or Chymist who has no other Design or Skill but to make, and sell to the best Advantage, is not at all safe, and will not be done by a Man that duly values his Patients welfare, and his own reputation. The Prepar­ing of Remedies with ones own hand is necessary, not only in order to their ex­act and faithful Preparation; but in the very Operation there is often more seen of the Reason and Nature of the thing, than can be found from all Authors put toge­ther; and a great Part of Natural Philosophy is manifest, and practically illustra­ted by the Analysis, and Synthesis of Bodies. In short, a Physician ought to be so well vers'd in his business, that if there were no Books, nor no venders of Medicines, he would know which way to go to work to provide himself a sufficient Apparatus for the curing of all Diseases he designs to meddle with. A­gain, as External and Internal Diseases are often complicated, and dependent one upon another; Fevers and other Distempers break out into Abcesses, &c. Wounds, Bruises, &c. produce Fevers, Deliria, and the like: it is as ne­cessary that the Chirurgeons Hand should grow upon the Physicians Arm, as that the Physicians Brain should move and direct it. Will it not be a Disgrace to a Physician, as well as a Damage to the Patient, that he must sit staring upon the distressed Object, while a Surgeon who is not always to be found, is sent for in a Case where Phlebotomy is instantaneously requir'd? Is it not indeed dishonourable, as well as disadvantageous to him and his Patient, that he is but one Limb of a Healer, and must be beholden to another (perhaps wooden) Leg, calld in distinction a Surgeon, to perfect the Cure of a Bubo, Carbunkle, &c. one who is suppos'd (if not wisht) to be ignorant of the Internal Causes, Springs, and Effluxes of those putrid Fountains? Or shall a Surgeon not blush to be so little a Physician, as that his Head cannot work as well as his Hand? must he needs call for one who perhaps has not studied the Internal fomes of an Ulcer, to prescribe him an internal Medicine, without which it cannot be healed? must he never let blood in the most needful Case, without the advice of one that cannot do it? or must the Patient be at the Charge of 3 distinct Operators, when one may, and ought to do all better, at the Charge of one of them? Besides, this three legged Stool has often one Leg defective or shorter than another, by which defect the weak Patient often falls to the ground, when he might have been up­held [Page 55]held by one solid Basis till he was able to rise and walk. The Doctor, a Surgeon, if ignorant of one anothers business, will be very liable to counter­work one another; or if ever so well skill'd, they will divide the Care. The Surgeon will not so much value the Success of what he does merely by the Doctors order, and the Doctor will not reckon himself to blame if the Surgeon does not perform his part well. So the Apothecary, to come again to the 3d Noun Adjective; which with the other 2 are now adays thought convenient and able to be equivalent to a Substantive the Healer, he will be satisfied either with Health, or Death, or long Sickness of the Patient, if he has but supply'd him with things according to the order of the Doctor: and he who is suppos'd to sit at the helm of Life and Death, if the Vessel miscarry, will be apt to lay the blame upon the Errors, or Disobedience of some one or other of the Mariners. But the little Ship of Man's Body being within the reach and guidance of one only Artist, he will have more care to perform what is requisite to its safety, because he only will have the Honour, the Reward, or the Blame of his good or ill Suc­cess. I cannot forbear taking notice of another mistake, somewhat akin to what we have been discoursing, and that is this: 'tis suppos'd that in the Multitude of Counsellors there is safety, when apply'd to Physicians. As for Apothecaries, and Surgeons, tho they be never so well skill'd, or chance to see farther into the case than the Doctor, or have a better Remedy than he knows, if they offer any thing, he will take it in disdain, and no way admit what they shall in­sinuate, of which I could give instances. But even in a Consult of Doctors, there is indeed less safety: The disgrace, or the credit will be divided amongst them, whence the Care of the Sick will be the less. They will put the most Celebra­ted to write, tho the greatest Blockhead; none will much disagree with the rest: and if any one has a private Remedy more effectual, he will not advise that, or the rest admit it without discovering what it is; they will easily agree not to disgrace the Faculty by contradicting one another, who if they were separate, they would be quot homines tot sententiae; but one of the Doctors being more skilful than the rest, if he were to act alone, would act freely, whenas she most know­ing being commonly the most modest, will be shy to be most forward, or to differ from the rest, but will leave the prescribing to the most Proud, and Confident, whom he will easily suffer to run away with the Credit or Blame of the success, and content himself with his Fee. But if any one, with a more than ordinary Concern for the Patient dislikes what the others advise, and offers a Nostrum, or particular Method, they will be much disgusted, and perhaps say, as in a Case I might name, it is a College-case, it must not be.

But it would go better with the Sick, if instead of a Consult of Doctors at the Patient's house, the one Physician he thinks fit to employ would consult in his own behalf divers of his honest Brotherhood, and consider their Opinions, [Page 56]and so act according as he shall then judg. But there are divers Objections I foresee may be made against this Method of single and independent Practice, which must be answered before I can well conclude the Subject; and they are of two sorts, either such as relate to the Method it self, or to the Method in relation to, and under the present Circumstances of Doctors, Chirurgeons, and Apothecaries.

As to the first, it may be said it is indecorous for a Physician to be concern'd with Manuals, dishonourable for him, who must converse with the greatest Per­sonages: it is enough to make a Lady that is well, fall sick, to have her Pulse felt by a rough brown Hand. But I say, whatever may be the Niceness of a Beauish Doctor, or however a Lady that is wantonly sick may like a finical Fellow, that is the most honourable and decorous Hand, that can bring the Sick most help.

A squeamish Doctor cannot more nauseate any thing conducing to the Health of Men, than the handling some Chirurgical Cases incident to all sorts of Peo­ple; but being the Members of his Fellow-Creatures, his helpful Hand can­not abhor, with Honour or Honesty, to do that for another, he would need, and think reasonable in the like case to be done for himself; nor is it more ho­nourable to shake the Urinal, vel Stercus Bacculo agitare; yea, or to turn over the Leaves of mouldy worm-eaten Authors, to inspect the Relicts of Anti­quity, than to open the Book of Nature it self with ones own Hands, in Dissections of Animals, and the Materia medica, tho there be something both like Butchers and Colliers work, belonging to it. The Greatest Men have done it; those whom we are not ashamed to follow as Masters, but might with like Industry outgo, as far as they did those that went before them. Nothing but the basest Pride can disdain to use those Hands God has given us to the best Pur­poses, or think Mechanicks dishonourable, which the greatest Persons (I may say Person) that ever appeared on the Stage of the World, disdain'd not to pra­ctise. But

A more material Objection, and indeed seeming Difficulty, is this, That it is a thing too great, a Task too heavy for one man to be well skill'd in, and to perform all things belonging to the Art of Healing. To which I reply, That as it is no way dishonourable, but very much to a Man's Credit, to have both a Head and a Hand capable of doing whatever belongs to his Art; so it is pos­sible, and with diligence attainable. Any Boy of a Genius capable of doing any thing praise-worthy in Physick, if he be not abus'd, may by 16 have Lan­guage [Page 57]enough to read any Latin Authors, and also have made a considerable Progress in the Greek, which by use, and the help of Translations which are annex'd to most Greek Authors, he may in time compleat. As for other Languages, they are not so necessary, there being enough in these. And in learning of these Tongues, he may have read some Books of Physiology, or na­tural Philosophy. In 8 or 9 years more spent in diligent Reading, and the Pra­ctice of experimental Philosophy and Pharmacy, with the sight of Cases ma­nag'd by his Teachers, he may arrive to a capacity of doing creditably some­thing of what he has seen others do in all the parts of Healing, if he will but have the Modesty and Honesty not to undertake all Cases rare and difficult, which many times puzzle Men of 50 years Practice. He may in that time be so far expert in all that belongs to the Cure of divers Diseases, as that he may ho­nestly and courageously undertake to cure 'em. But it will still be objected by those that would be thought worthy of a large Practice, That the Pharmaceutick and Chirurgick parts of Healing cannot be attended, by reason of the many Visits the Importunity of the Sick obliges 'em to. But it may be answered, in many cases Visits are not necessary, the Patients may come home to the Doctors, and take the Medicines home with them; in some they need not be seen so oft: And be­sides, an ingenious Servant, a Pupil, will quickly come to take off a great deal of the Labour and Care in Preparation and Dispensation, and Conveyance of Medicines. There are some Preparations made by those that have nothing to do in Medicine, as common Spirit of Wine, and divers others, in which there can be no considerable Deceit, which the Physician need not trouble himself to make. But above all, if Physicians would apply themselves particularly to the Cure of some few Diseases, some to these, some to others, they might be therein more expert, and easily provided with all things necessary for their par­ticular Practice, without those Defects and Damages to the Sick which arise from the common Division of the Physicians work in every Disease, between two or three Persons, each of whom is usually unskill'd in some part of that which belongs to the Cure of any one Distemper. As if some would apply themselves to the Cure of all sorts of Fevers, others the Gout and Scorbute, others the Pox, &c. and would undertake nothing but what they are well provided for, they might have more business perhaps, or at least enough, and more Credit, and the Patients much more Comfort. But perhaps there may be some large Souls, that can neither be contented to subserve a Clyster, to spill the Balsam of Life by command, nor yet to be skilled in the cure of but some particular Diseases; that think it little in a Physician, if he is not omnibus numeris completus, and cannot undertake all Diseases. I say to these brave Souls, if they will but scorn to pretend, they may by Industry arrive to a capacity of honestly professing themselves Catholick Physicians, provided they will not co­vet, nor undertake more Patients than they can well provide for, and by their Industry can be so happy as to acquire a few effectual and Catholick Reme­dies: [Page 58]And I think they may get Money enough, tho they have no Under-workmen, and being greater Credit to their Profession, and be a greater Blessing to the Age and Places they live in. I will profess, as to my self, tho I refuse no Cases, except Lithotomy, and some few that require Accommodations in a Physician's House, I desire no more Patients than I can sufficiently provide for with my own Hand and Eye, in whatsoever belongs to inward and outward Operations: And if any singular Case happens that I do not well see into, I can be content to consult my Friends of the Faculty for my information, not to the Patient's Charge; or refer him to any of them that he or I, or any Friend can judg more expert in the Case: and what Money cannot be honestly and ingenuously got, I think is too much, and a Burden that will but help to sink a Man into Misery. And a mighty Practice, tho tolerably well performed for the real good of Mankind, is but a Life of mighty Care and Perplexity, not to be desired by a wise man for his own sake; but rather to be prevented by teaching the Rules of Health, communicating to other Physicians his Skill, and a modest refusal of Cases he does not yet thoroughly understand.

But as to those Objections that may arise against this Method of Practice, as relating to the present State of Physicians, Surgeons and Apothecaries in the City, and herewith to consider more directly the state of the Controversy between the Doctors and Apotheca­ries; it will be said the Apothecaries are not so well skill'd in Physiology, Pathology, and the use of Medicines as they should be, and so are uncapable of single Practice. I answer, It is granted of a great part of them, and it is true of many of those that call themselves Doctors; but they of both sorts might be capable of Practice, if they would desire Skill as much as Money. It will be likewise said, the Doctors are not skill'd in Pharmacy, Chymistry or Surgery. But it is to be answered, They may be, if Pride, Covetousness and Laziness do not hinder 'em from doing their Duty. But it cannot be denied that some of the Apo­thecaries are as well skill'd in all these things, and so as fit to practise as some of the Do­ctors their Antagonists, yea even of the Dispensary-men who swell so magisterially. Had not some of them as mean Education as any? Were not some of them bred Apothecaries, or less to the purpose? Was not the very Acetabulum of the College bred to very little Language, hardly a clean English-man, under a Country Apothecary, who, he himself says, was very little skill'd even in his own Profession? Can a License be supposed to inspire with Suf­ficiency in an instant? Or can another, bred a mere Scholar, uncapable of Divine Prefer­ment by Jacobitism, undetermin'd to Physick, of a sudden become a Doctor by a Universi­ty Patent, and a compleat Artist in the Medicinal Faculty, with whom a Man of 1000 l. a year may trust his Life and precious Enjoyments? I must confess I never got any Skill on a sudden by such Inspirations. I remember what Persius says as to Poetry;

So say I as to Physick,

But the honest Part of the College, as they call themselves, have set up Shops, where Medicines shall be well and honestly prepared, and those Mischiefs that have arose from trusting Apothecaries avoided; and so the Method proposed, is to them needless. I an­swer, it must here be confess'd, that they are so far commendable, as that they owning some of the Faults they have been guilty of, profess to do something better. But what they do will not be enough; they are not yet well skilled in Pharmacy, especially the chief Part of it, Pyrotechny; their Servants are not better skill'd than the Apothecaries, nor can they have that Care of the Success of their Masters Practice, as a Man would of [Page 59]his own: the Blame will not lie upon them, the Masters don't always see what they do, nor can they always teach them what they should do. Neither Masters nor Servants have affur'd the People of more Skill or Honesty than in the old way. But if any of them were real Artists, and had any great things, they would not communicate them; but if they used them, must so far act singly according to our Method. But the Force of the Objection against the Method I propose, lies in this; That considering the Doctors and A­pothecaries are singly defective in not understanding the whole that belongs to the Art of Healing, they must practise some way or other dependently, or not at all; a [...]d if the greatest Part should leave off Practice, 1. How should they live? 2. How shall the People be supplied in their Necessities? I answer, many of them have got enough al­ready, and may very well leave off, and take Care of securing their own Health in ano­ther Life by Repentance, or refuse to undertake what they cannot do as they should, till they can do their Duty. But those that have not already laid up of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, had better leave off quite, and take to something they can more honest­ly perform, than abuse their Neighbours, and ruin their own Souls. They can have no better Plea to continue in an evil Practice, than Bauds and Whores, who have not been bred to any other Employment. But as to the other Plea, how the People shall be served; I answer, it is a question, whether the present dependent Practice of Physick, taking one time with another, does more hurt or good; and to try the Experiment by leaving off Physick for 4 or 5 Years, till some ingenious Men were better accomplished, perhaps might be worth the People's while. But there are some that follow our Method, and have always done so, who might be more useful than some of them are, were the magiste­rial and haughty way of Practice by Prescribing out of request, and were the Practitio­ners by Patent no way able to persecute or molest those that are most capable of doing the Physician's Duty. But it will still be replied, it will signify but little to persuade Men against their Interest, the thing which all Men so vigorously prosecute. I answer, if what I have said be not sufficient to persuade Physicians, that it is their Interest to be honest, and well accomplished in their Profession, I would leave them, and address my self to the suffering People, especially those that govern, and propose to them two ways whereby Physicians might be excellently accomplished for their Business, and so more profitable to the People: for presupposing the Persons be sufficiently accomplished in Lan­guages, and to have a Genius to Philosophical and Medicinal Studies, or not to be admitted, they should either serve, not ignorant Apothecaries or Doctors, but able independent Physicians as their Pupils, faithfully to be instructed a sufficient Number of Years, on proper Conditions; as Medicine was taught of old. Or 2ly. That there shall be erected at London a School of Medicine, wherein shall always be a sufficient Number of skilful Practitioners of all Parts of Medicine, who should not only theoretically, but practically teach the Pupils all things that belong to the Profession: and none should be suffered to practise in England, but such as being fit for Admission had gone through all things belong­ing to the Art, by continuance in this School so many Years, as should be thought, or ra­ther found sufficient to qualify them. Which of these two Methods would be the best, I shall not now determine: either might be preferred in different respects. The last perhaps would be most liked, as seeming most honourable; the former might by an able Master be more easily accomplished, and both very well agree with what Hippocrates proposes in Lege. [...], [Page 60]&c. Quisquis enim Medicinae Scientiam sibi vere comparare volet, eum hisce [...]iti oportet, Natura, Doctrina, Loco Studiis apto, Institutione a Puero, Studio, & Industria at (que) Tempore. Prim [...]m quidem igitur omnium Natura opus est. Natura enim [...]epognante, irrita sunt omnia. Eadem ve [...] viam ad [...]ptima commonstrante, Artis Doctrina con­tin, it. Quam ipsam cum Prudentia sibi compa [...]a [...]e oportet, ita ut a Puero Institutio accedat, idque in L [...]c [...] a Nat [...]ra ad Disciplinam accommodato. Amplius autem & Industriam adhibere oportet; eam [...], ad multum temporis, ut scilicet Di [...]ciplina in Naturam versa, ac veluti ingenerata, feliciter & capiose Fr [...]ctus proferat. Qualis enim eorum quae Terra producit Consideratio est, talis etiam Medicina cognitio. Natura enim nostra velut Ager est: Dogmata Praeceptorum ve­luti semina sunt. Instit [...]tioni a Peuro cum eo convenit, quod opportuno tempore semina Terrae com­mittere oportet. Locus autem in quo Disciplina contingit, est velut ambiens aer è terra nascenti­bus nutrimentum praebers. Studium autem Cultura est. Tempus p [...]stremo haec omnia corroborat, ut perfecte en [...]triantur.

But where shall we find one among a thousand, who from an early Inclination or na­tural Genius to the Art, hath been instructed from his Youth, in a Place accommodated with all things necessary to perfect his Skill, who hath hereto added the Industry of a long time, and ripened his Studies to the bringing forth of plenteous Fruit? Not every, Apothecary in his eight years Apprenticeship has been thus completed; nor have many Doctors, tho they have supposed themselves to come full blown out of the Universities, been much better accomplished, Nay I will affirm that there is no publick Method now in use in England, whereby men are sufficiently instructed in all that belongs to the Art of Medicine. But were the Nation as willing to spare some thousands to promote the Art of preserving men from Diseases, as they have been to part with Millions to defend them from the French (who have perhaps slain more by their Pox than Sword) there should be a Method propos'd for a School of Medicine, every way so adapted to promote the Art, and perfect the Artist, that no reasonable Man should be able to find fault with it.