e of the Universities, and
Faculty, when ignorant people shall give, and they challenge the same
title for nothing, attained by the Physician at a great rate and long
study, the vulgar taking Practiser and Doctor to signifie the same
thing. And which no persons of knowledg and education do, and perhaps
most other persons give them in way of Jeering.

From the handsom support of Physicians these benefits will accrue to
the publick, that thereby the honour all Nations yield to the English
Physicians will be kept up, who in the late times, when the reputation
of the Nation was well neer forfeited abroad, the Physicians then in
being, most whereof are now living, and Members of the College,
maintained the credit, for learning and value, of this Kingdom, and
since his Majesties happy return, some of them have kept up the honour
of the Faculty; which manifestly appears by the great esteem
Foreigners have of their Books, by often printing them, and
translating into Latin what hath been published in English, though
they are no where so depressed as in England.

A second benefit to the publick is, that men of competent Estates will
breed up their Sons in the Art of Physic, giving them such education
as is necessary, and will not vouchsafe to place them out to
Apothecaries, though now adays want of learning and degrees are
adjudged as needful a qualification for the exercise of Physic, as
formerly 'twas for Preaching, and the Shops fit to supply both.

I will conclude this part of my discourse with this observation; that
the Laws of England in all their Acts of Parliament, have granted the
practice of Physic to Physicians and them alone, and in no clause
thereof put in any restraint at all upon them, but every where, either
new priviledges, or a confirmation of the old, have been granted, by
the said powers. Whereas on the contrary, the Law supposeth cheats in
the Apothecaries Shops, and therefore impowers our Censors to destroy
and burn what they find bad and corrupt.

The next thing to be treated of, shall be the ways of Apothecaries
creeping into practice, and their unfitness thereunto. As to the
first, heretofore when they were Members of the Company of Grocers,
and dispersed in place, as well as in counsel, they then were wholy
subordinate to the Physicians, only keeping in their Shops, and
faithfully making the prescriptions they received from the Physicians,
and when made, sending them to the Patient by their men (as t