An historical account of the rights and priviledges of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Incorporation of Chirurgions in Edinburgh. Wherein the present ill state of the practice of physick ... is consider'd ... To which is added, an appendix, giving an account of the overture given in by the saids [sic] Chirurgions to the Parliament, against the Physicians / [Anon].

  • Eccles, William, M.D.
Date:
1707]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical account of the rights and priviledges of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Incorporation of Chirurgions in Edinburgh. Wherein the present ill state of the practice of physick ... is consider'd ... To which is added, an appendix, giving an account of the overture given in by the saids [sic] Chirurgions to the Parliament, against the Physicians / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the Rales thereof, and that the Courts ot Juftice fhould determine the Debt according to their Taxation , for under corre&ion it Teems to be a great defe# incur Law that the determining or adjufting Debts of this kind (liou Id be lefr to the Judgement of perfons who know little or nothing of the matter, for if 1 km not misinformed, the Trials of matters of this nature ufe to proceed dtos* The Apothecary proves by the Patients Oath, but moil ordinatly by Witness-9 who are generally his own Prentices [and who are very oft more affraid of their Matter than the Oath] the delivery of fuch Medicines to the' Patient , and commonly the Judge asks the opinion of one or more Apothe¬ caries , who declare, that the prices demanded arc the ufual prices that other' Apothecaries put upon fuch like Medicines, and when this is done, the Judge* determines in favours of the Purifiers, now who fees not that in this fortofTri* al, the prices which the Apothecaries have made cufiomary, how extravagant foe- ver are juftified by the Judge,and thePatientor his Friends have nothing to appeal to but the Apothecaries Conicitnoe, whereas if a Committee of 7hyficians and ' Apothecaries had the examining of fuch Debts , they would not eonlider what Tatients through Ignorance have^ay’d, or what twenty Apothecaries fhould fwear they had received, buc what the Medicines prefcribM were really worth* But the greateft Objedion fas feme apprehend it) is that if Apothecaries have the prices of their Medicines leffen’d , they will demand fatisfa$ion for ^ their attendance, and fo the Patient will fave nothing after all this Pother a- bout-prices, but thofe that make this obje&ion, neither know how little the Apothecaries attendance fignifies, nor how dear it cofts jthc Patient, for the Phyfidan in his Receipt gives full Dire#ions, when and how every thing is to be taken, which the Apothecary ought to tranfmit with the Medicines to the Patient*, So that there is no ncceflity for the Apothecary to fee the Patient ot any about him , his cheif bufinefs being to fee that the Phyfick be exadly prepared, and each Medicine, inferibed with its proper name« together with the Phyficians Diredions, be lent to the Patient to whom it belongs * if< there be giving of Clyflers, Blooding, Applying or Drtfling of Blifters * Setons, Cauters, or fuch like, its mod reafonable they fhould be payed for their pains, but for them to caufe the Patient pay for their officious Attend* ance is mod unconfcionable, but the Truth is, Patients have hitherto been kept altogether in the dark , by the Apothecaries confounding the tonfidera- don for Attendance, with the prices of their Medicines, the Patients have taken all the officious Vifits of their Apothecaries to be from pure refpett and kind* nefs, when its demonftrable they pay dearer for them* than for their Phyfid* ans, but its by this Cunning they make themfelves neccffary , and is the true handle to their belov'd Do&orifcing. Buc now ! proceed to the 4tb. Head I propos’d w*. the ere&tng at difpenfary, this would be botfvfo char [table and neceflary a work, that though it would prove terrible, to thofe amphibious Gentlemen . yet to the re ft of the people efpecially the pooror fort there being fo few Hofpitals^ for their relief, it would be like delivering them4 from E^tun Bondage, and carrying them to the Land of Qamsau* ' ' ' ' ' . T ' I * os