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

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 more then they ought.
Fourthly, To advance the prices, you shall hardly ever see a Bill without Bezoar, or Pearls in it, to make people think them very chargeable; whereas sometimes there is not above a grain or two of these dear ingredients in the prescription, and a few