“Your design all ingenious persons approve highly, to whom I have communicated it.  ’Tis frequent with a Master Apothecary that hath served but 2, or 3 years, nay some scarce one, to take Apprentices for as little, or less time, with a little more money then ordinarily; and presently they assume the Title of Doctors, though they understand no more then only to write to a whole-sale Apothecary in your City.  And truly their couzenages here in the Country do exceed those in the City.  For I have known 2s. 6d. taken for a little Plaster of Galbanum, and it is usual to make one pectoral Syrup serve for all; as having occasion to enquire for Syrup of Jujubs, one of them ingenuously confessed (not knowing what Jujubs were) that he used one pectoral Syrup for all, a little varying the colour sometimes, and this a peculiar receipt of his own, something differing from any in the Dispensatory.”

As for their opposition also in the Country, take this one Example.  An eminent Physician of Gloucester by reason of the Apothecaries Frauds, &c. betook himself to make his own Medicines, taking for his Servant one that was not a Freeman of the said City.  Who in his Masters absence, and contrary to his command, sold to an Apothecary a Medicine not to be had, or at least pretended not to be had in the Town, for a most urgent and necessary use; whereupon the Apothecaries conspiring together, exhibited a complaint to the Mayor and Court of Aldermen, requiring of them, that the said Physician (who was a Freeman, and had lately born the Office of Mayor) might be dis-franchised.  Which being not granted them, they set the whole City into such disorder, that they refused to attend the Mayor on a Solemn day (as their Custom is, and are bound to do) with their Flags from their Town-Hall to the Church, which the prudence of the Magistrates for the present qualified.  This relation I had from the then Mayor my Kinsman, in the presence of a London Apothecary.

Next as to the Lyes and Scandals of my self, I shall take notice only of those that concern practice (the rest being but generally false and non-sensical revilings.) One is, that they most untruly entitle me to have been Physician to the Lady Anderson, and many others which I never saw or heard of; and that I soon dispatched them.  Another wherewith they make great noise, is, of one Mr. Staples in Covent-Garden, whom they say also I dispatched in few days.  The true relation whereof was this.  An able Physician of the College had him in hand for the Jaundice, about two Months before I was called, whereupon we consulted and writ a note to the Apothecary; a week after the consultation I was sent for, and desired to take care of him alone; he was then, besides the Jaundice, troubled with continual Torments in his Bowels, which were as hard as a Board (as they say) his Stomach gone, his nights restless, a vehement Cough joyned with a Hectick Fever, having long before had an ill Habit of Body.  In this