That his Medicines may be fewer, is evident in Physicians that practise in the Country, who ride far to Patients, and carry in their Mans Cloak-bag, Medicines enough, not only for the person he is sent to, but also for most other persons, and Cases he meets with in his Travels, and therefore his Closet needs contain but few, yet noble and generous Medicines, and such as may serve him upon all occasions, supplying what’s defective from the Fields or Gardens.  He may avoid all pompous, useless, chargable Medicines of the Shops, and substitute in their place, cheaper, and more conducible to health; He may very well lay aside the precious Stones, Saphir, Emerals, &c. the high priced Magistrals of Coral, and Pearl, made worse by their preparations, or rather destroyed thereby in their Virtue, as also Unicorns Horn; and Bezoar, all which are now rarely used alone, but in the received Compositions; He may also spare the charges of leaf-gold, for guilding Pots, Glasses, Pills, Electuaries, Boles, &c. which serves only to raise the Bill.

He may teach the Patients facile and easie Remedies, as to make a Clyster, apply Blisters, or Medicines to the feet, where they are needful, &c. and in many Cases may cure by well ordering his Patient only, without any Remedies at all, or but very few; being free to act for the Patients Health, without the grumbling of the Apothecary; and many other ways he may daily meet with, very advantageous to the Patient.

He will have little use of Conserves, Syrups, Lohocks, &c. a greater part whereof Sugar makes up, which doth more hurt to most persons, then the other ingredients do good.

As for Infusions and Decoctions, he will find by experiment, how much liquor, or Menstruum will suffice to extract the full vertue of the ingredients, and what are helps, or hinderances thereunto, and thereby neither suffer loss in the quantity, or quality of them.

He will discover the inefficacy of many of the Syrups and other Medicines in the Shops, made of such ingredients, the qualities whereof, what with boiling, what with the great quantity of Sugar necessary to keep them, are either made useless or opposite to the ends they are proposed for.  Especially in such Plants, Seeds, and Flowers, which consist of fine volatil parts, and even in drying and pounding, or the least boiling exhale and evaporate, and therefore in the common way of ordering them, lose their whole vertue or most of their efficacy, and alter in their properties.  From which by several methods known to some Physicians, very generous and singular Medicines may be produced.

He need not use so large Compositions consisting of such confused and contrary ingredients, and will find good reason to lay aside those unintelligible and unreasonable Compositions of Mithridate, and Treacle, and the so much magnified Treacle-water, and will substitute better in their places, of smaller charge, and less trouble; and this all Physicians I have conversed with, and the College it self, by their Book published for the common good, in the year before the Plague, and all those Physicians in this City, who make or intend to make their own Medicines, do confess.