out-beard Physicians, and do publickly profess (as
hath been said) that they understand the practice of Physic well as
they; how much more would they have said so, if they had been made
Masters of these secrets? And here I shall admonish those of my own
Faculty, who have devoted their Studies, Labours, and Purses, for the
improvement of their Art, to consider, that as natural things have
their bounds and limits, and that there is no new Creation of them,
and besides, that these things have their bounds also of improvement,
beyond which 'tis impossible for man to go; and that by a good method
and industry, that end may be attained; (though at present I must
confess, no Art is more capable of enlargement then ours:) I say let
all consider, and they will find, what a vast encouragement they have
to improve their knowledg so far, that they shall not only be able to
leave mankind destitute of no remedy Nature did ever produce; but also
restore and setle those Honours ignorant men would usurp, upon the
Learned Professors of this Science, and I see no reason why Physicians
should communicate their secrets to such persons, who will make use of
them, to the ruine of the Inventors, which is indeed a failer of
trust, for when a Physician writes his Bill, he trusts the Apothecary
only with making the Medicine for a particular occasion, and not to
make use of it as his own when be pleaseth for his own profit, and the
Inventor have no further benefit by it, then perhaps one single
advantage.

Lastly, When Dispensatories were first made, the Apothecaries were
really Physicians Servants, and wholy at their command, not in the
least intrenching on their business, and the rates of Medicines were
reasonable; which superiority over them still continues only in their
prescriptions, the forms whereof are always commanding to take this
and that, and to mix them, &c. but within these few last years they
have set up for themselves, and advanced the rates beyond all reason;
and to be sure, the more we teach them by our Books, the more they
will trangress in both.

He may receive encouragement from what he discovers, that is more then
ordinarily useful, whereas by writing Bills, he soon communicates to
the ignorant and lazy, who will neither spend time nor money to
advance the Art, but while the one is at work to his great charge,
lots of time, much pains and trouble, the others seek by petty tricks
and Arts to gain a name, and profit from the