A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries | Page 5

be sure to pay sawce for it.
Eighthly, Another trick is when the Patient is cured, and the Physician
therefore hath given over his Visits, then comes the Apothecary and
insinuates by his words and passions, either some danger of relapse, or
some other present distemper, and repairs to the Physician for a Bill to
cure the imaginary disease.
Ninthly, But their principal Art of all is, to cry up, and bring in to
Patients such Physicians, who through design must comply with the
Apothecaries Interest, and such Practisers they extol and cry up for
good Physicians, which some of them call more expresly good
Apothecaries Physicians, and such without doubt, the whole Company
will endeavour to raise unto a fame and practice. But such as write only
for the good of the Patient, and not at all for the benefit of the
Apothecary (as all honest men ought to do) they will endeavour to
prevent their calling in, or to shuffle them out.
Now this good Apothecaries Physician, they describe by his frequent
though needless visits, but especially by the multitude of his Bills, by
his visiting twice a day, or oftner (a very careful and painful Doctor)
and by still writing new Medicines, when half the former, or perhaps
none of them have been taken, making an Apothecaries Shop in the
Patients House, planting the Cupboards and Windows with Glasses and

Gally-Pots, and not a quarter of the whole made use of. He prescribes a
Medicine for every slight complaint, and never goes away from the
Patient or the Patient from him, without a Bill, for fear of the
Apothecaries grumbling.
And from this burdening the sick with multiplicity of Medicines, too
often contrary to, and destructive one of another, it proceeds that in the
Small Pox, and Measles, many are afraid to use Physicians, and commit
the care of the sick to Nurses, and Old Women, and perhaps sometimes
not without cause, for by continual multiplication of Medicines, the
humours of the body may be made, or kept in too great a state of
fluidity, whence the Flox followeth. Whereas a Medicine or two duly
administred, may suffice to bring them well forth, and then there needs
no more but good ordering, unless perhaps some accident arise, which
may require further care. And here as well as in other Cases, the Patient
is to be rectified, who requires the Physicians Visits, and yet dismisseth
him without a reward, unless he writes a Bill, whereas it might have
been better if nothing at all had been prescribed; and the Physician left
to his own judgment; and hence it is that many enlarge their Bills, that
the Patient may think he hath enough for his money, whereby the
Apothecary is gratified, who ought to commend the Medicines as
necessary for the sick person, and singular in themselves, whereas in
truth this great farcy proves ungrateful to the tast and stomach;
inconvenient to health, by curing one disease, but creating more; and
by this means keeping them continually in a way of Physic.
A third abuse of the Apothecaries relates to the prices of their
Medicines; first they put what rates they please on their Simples,
Compounds, and Receipts, and none are judges of them, but those of
their own Trade; insomuch that they gain a 11 d. in the Shilling, if they
say true of themselves. Whereas the Colleges of Physicians beyond Sea,
yearly set a tax upon the Simples, and Compounds of the Shops. So
that the Customer can tell the price of what he hath occasion to use, and
not stand at the mercy of the Apothecary to rate them as he lists, and to
this purpose they put in print the prices of them every year.
Secondly, Suppose a Physician hath prescribed a Pint of Juleb, &c. to
be taken at four several times, some Apothecaries carry not the whole
pint at once, but divide it into four parts, and carry but one at a time,
and so of other Medicines, and then will charge their Bill for every

single Potion, or Draught, as they ought the whole Pint; so that by this
Art they gain four times as much for the whole Medicine as in
Conscience they ought; and a Juleb, which cost them six pence, will be
rated at 10, 12, or more Shillings. But perhaps 'tis fit they should be
paid for their created Visits; and for this unnecessary officiousness,
persons of great estates may be contented to pay roundly, if they please.
Thirdly, When a Physician hath prescribed 20 Pills, some of the
Apothecaries will make 30 of them, under pretence the Patient cannot
swallow them else; now reckoning each Pill at a certain rate (as they
usually do) they gain a third part