A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries eBook

Christopher Merrett
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 69 pages of information about A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries.

A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries eBook

Christopher Merrett
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 69 pages of information about A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries.

Fifthly, Chirurgeons (as before) will not trust them to make external Remedies; and the King, and East-India Company commit the making of their Chests for their Fleets to the Chirurgeons.

Sixthly, Have not Ladies and Charitable Gentlewomen their Closets well furnished with various Medicines for the Poors use, and for their own also, when Physicians are called to their houses in the Country?  Distillers of Strong-waters, Makers of Plaisters, Confectioners make Medicines bought by the Apothecaries, Ale-Houses sell purging Drinks, and Book-sellers sell Chymical Medicines, and all this without much regret of the Apothecaries.  But if a Physician intermix a Medicine with theirs, though the Patients life be saved thereby, what noise, and murmuring, and proclaiming of it the next Market-day to the rest of their Company? to what purpose any one may judg.

Seventhly, Why should not Physicians, being lawfully authorized thereunto, practise with their own Medicines, as well as the Apothecaries with theirs, though against Law, and incurring thereby the penalty of 5l. per Month, which the College never troubled them for, or exacted of them?

Eighthly, Physicians will be necessitated to it for their subsistence and honour, and to preserve their Art from being prostituted to illiterate persons, the Apothecaries becoming now their Competitors.

Ninthly, By this means Physicians will avoid multitudes of inconveniencies, proceeding from writing of Bills, and the Apothecaries Visits.

First The mistakes, and frauds in the Ingredients, especially committed by the great practising Apothecaries, who may, as appears by the following story, be suspected to send, instead of what was prescribed, the remains of his own practice, or else some cast-by Medicines; for else how could it be when a Medicine was prescribed to stand in Infusion or steep a whole night, that it should be brought two hours after the Bill was written, even the very same Evening?  Which by accident the Patient confessed, wanting the expected success.

Secondly By this course Physicians avoid the many opprobrious terms cast upon them by Apothecaries: 

As First, In saying that if he had not omitted or added something, the Patient might have miscarried; which he may say at pleasure without any contradiction, though doubtless many have been killed by this means.

Secondly, By saying the Bill could never have been made without some alteration of the Apothecary, thereby insinuating the Doctors ignorance in compounding.

Thirdly, In saying the Doctor is not versed in Medicines, because forsooth he varieth not at every Visit, and multiplieth not new Bills for the Apothecaries profit.

Fourthly, In saying they teach Physicians, and help them to, and in their practice.  The first and last are vile and foolish Scandals; as to the Second, ’tis true indeed, that younger Apothecaries recommend Physicians to their acquaintance; but ’tis no longer then they have learned enough (as they think) to set up for themselves.

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A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.