s visits, but especially by the multitude of his Bills,
by his visiting twice a day, or oftner (a very careful and painful
Doctor) and by still writing new Medicines, when half the former, or
perhaps none of them have been taken, making an Apothecaries Shop in
the Patients House, planting the Cupboards and Windows with Glasses
and Gally-Pots, and not a quarter of the whole made use of. He
prescribes a Medicine for every slight complaint, and never goes away
from the Patient or the Patient from him, without a Bill, for fear of
the Apothecaries grumbling.

And from this burdening the sick with multiplicity of Medicines, too
often contrary to, and destructive one of another, it proceeds that in
the Small Pox, and Measles, many are afraid to use Physicians, and
commit the care of the sick to Nurses, and Old Women, and perhaps
sometimes not without cause, for by continual multiplication of
Medicines, the humours of the body may be made, or kept in too great a
state of fluidity, whence the Flox followeth. Whereas a Medicine or
two duly administred, may suffice to bring them well forth, and then
there needs no more but good ordering, unless perhaps some accident
arise, which may require further care. And here as well as in other
Cases, the Patient is to be rectified, who requires the Physicians
Visits, and yet dismisseth him without a reward, unless he writes a
Bill, whereas it might have been better if nothing at all had been
prescribed; and the Physician left to his own judgment; and hence it
is that many enlarge their Bills, that the Patient may think he hath
enough for his money, whereby the Apothecary is gratified, who ought
to commend the Medicines as necessary for the sick person, and
singular in themselves, whereas in truth this great farcy proves
ungrateful to the tast and stomach; inconvenient to health, by curing
one disease, but creating more; and by this means keeping them
continually in a way of Physic.

A third abuse of the Apothecaries relates to the prices of their
Medicines; first they put what rates they please on their Simples,
Compounds, and Receipts, and none are judges of them, but those of
their own Trade; insomuch that they gain a 11 d. in the Shilling, if
they say true of themselves. Whereas the Colleges of Physicians beyond
Sea, yearly set a tax upon the Simples, and Compounds of the Shops. So
that the Customer can tell the price of what he hath occasion to use,
and not stand at the mercy of the Ap