Discursory thoughts, &c : disputing the constructions of His Majesty's hon. commissioners and crown lawyers, relative to the medicine and horse acts : to which are added, the opinions and resolutions of the farmers in Scotland ... with remarks on the late trials concerning the Medicine Act / by Francis Spilsbury.

  • Spilsbury, Francis.
Date:
1785
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Discursory thoughts, &c : disputing the constructions of His Majesty's hon. commissioners and crown lawyers, relative to the medicine and horse acts : to which are added, the opinions and resolutions of the farmers in Scotland ... with remarks on the late trials concerning the Medicine Act / by Francis Spilsbury. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    claimed the like indulgence; more fo, as their tranfgreffions fell fhort of thofe perfons who had taken out a patent. Could any perfon have con- ceived it to be a crime to fell a patent medicine; or fuppofed that an act of parliament mould be made to punifli individuals for having vended a medicine under the royal letters patent, before they heard a vote of cenfure had gained the legis- lature's approbation ? Reafonable as the requefl was, founded in jus- tice by thefe gentlemen, they were refufed the like toleration by the Commiffioners, who al- ledged the medicines they fold in general, as Daffy's Elixir, Turlington's Balfam, Godfrey's Cordial, &c. although no patent medicines, yet thefe were the articles leghlature meant to tax. After frequent altercations, and the thought of incurring the difpleafure of Government, they fubmitted, and facrifked their reafon to the dic- tates pf fear, and took out the licence. Soon after, Mr. Wray flood forth, threw up his li- cence, and ceafed to be the pliant inftrument of adding diftrefs to mifery, by placing a ftamp on the medicines he fold ; and challenged the Com- miffioners to try the iffue. In the little time allotted to frame the ufual mode for gathering the import, before the act took place, I publifhed my remarks on the medi- cine act in the newfpapers, contending, that the general alarm which had gone through the coun- try was ill founded ; that thofe perfons, who had kept a (hop for three years, and fold drugs or medicines only, not being -patent ones, might go on with their bufinefs, and fell as heretofore. The