A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries | Page 6

grains of these or Ambergrise doubles or trebles the prices of the Medicines, and are sure never to be omitted in their Bills, besides the guilding of the Pills, and covering their Bolusses, and Electuaries with Gold (which have only an imaginary and no real use in Medicines so used) much inhanseth their prices, and a rich Cordial inserted exceedingly advanceth most of their Bills; or if China or any other dear ingredient be in the receipt 'tis not omitted.
Fifthly, Some Apothecaries offer, and perhaps some Physicians have taken presents to help them to Customers, which must necessarily be squeazed out of their higher-rated Medicines.
Sixthly, I have heard some prudent persons complain of their bringing in their Bills but once in a year, or two; supposing they made them pay Lombards Usury for their forbearance. And through this neglect they sometimes lose their money, and whether they raise other Mens Bills to make up these losses, I affirm not.
Seventhly, Another cause of raising their prices is a necessity of keeping in their Shops such Medicines as are seldom used, or such as must upon necessity decay, and grow useless. Now suppose they throw such away, this reason is good, but you will find a remedy for this hereafter.
To conclude this second Complaint. By reason of the dear Bills of the Apothecaries, many are deterred from going to the Physician, and run to common Mountebanks, and I think this to be the reason (as some disabused persons have confessed to me) why they have so much cryed up the abilities of Apothecaries for practice, because they would save their credit in taking Physic of them. St. Augustine candidly in his Book of Confessions declares, that through covetousness he repeated a course of Physic, without consulting the Physician (who had before cured him of the same disease) to his greater charge, danger of his life, and offence against God.
Having done with the Apothecaries abuses relating chiefly to the Patients Health and Purse, and such as are willfully committed (though all of them reflect on the Physician) I shall now touch on a few neglects, and mistakes proving often very mischievous.
First, They frequently mistake the Physicians directions, which of what dangerous consequence it is, every one can tell.
Secondly, They carry a Medicine appointed for one sick person to another.
Thirdly, They often neglect the sending of Medicines in due time, especially such as have no Servants, or but raw ones, when the Master is out of Town, or upon long visits.
Having now done with the Apothecaries as they relate principally to the sick, I shall in the next place speak of them, as they relate to Physicians, and that either to the profession in general, or to the particular practisers of it.
As to the Physicians in general, they endeavour to extirpate them, and some have been so bold to say, they hope in few years to see never a Physician in London, and to profess they will scramble with them for practice. And that this hath been and is their intention, the following particulars will clearly demonstrate.
First, They have always endeavoured and aimed at the depression and ruine of the College of Physicians, the only Corporation of that Art in England, considering rightly, that the depression of the College is their interest and rise, and that the total subversion of it will make them absolute Masters in Physic and Physicians their Servants. In Order hereunto they have constantly, both publickly and privately opposed the College in whatsoever hath been offered to setle the liberty of practice on them, their only priviledg and subsistence, though they have been offered all they could desire for the security of their Trade, and legal employment, and far beyond whatsoever any Corporation of Apothecaries in all, or in any forreign part enjoy, yet nothing would ever content them, but an unlawful, unreasonable, dangerous, and destructive Usurpation of liberty to some pretended practice, that thereby they might gain the whole.
Secondly, They have continually traduced the College, and troubled them in Parliaments, at the Council-Board, &c. to their great charge and molestation. And for such their great demerits against the College, the King and his Council, Anno 1639. granted a Quo Warranto to the Attorney General (the Judges having first heard the whole matter) to take away their Charter, which doubtless had been effected, had not the troubles, and long civil War immediately ensued.
Thirdly, And in this present Parliament, how did they endeavour to prepossess the Members of the House of Commons with strange, and false prejudices and assertions drawn from irrational, and groundless suppositions, making us the greatest Tyrants in the World, inferring ridiculously that a Lady, or Charitable Gentlewoman (for in that believing Sex they have gain'd a great deal of ground by their falsities) might not give the