MR.
WARD
's Practice
of
Physick, As it Relates to the PUBLICK, Impartially Considered.
IN A LETTER TO
THOMAS CAREW,
Esq; Member of Parliament.
Quod si, quam audax est ad conandum, tam esset obscurus in agendo, fortasse aliqua in re nos aliquando fefellisset: verum hoc percommode cedit, quod cum incredibili ejus audacia singularis stultitia conjuncta est.
Cic.
in
Ver.
LONDON:
Printed for J. ROBERTS, at the
Oxford-Arms
in
Warwick-Lane.
MDCCXLI.
[Price 4
d.
MR.
WARD
's Practice
of
Physick
Impartially Considered.
SIR,
Minehead,
Dec. 14. 1740.
THE truly generous, noble, and indefatigable Spirit you have exerted on the Behalf of the Commonwealth, during your sitting in Parliament, has drawn upon you the Trouble of this Application. You have shewn, not only Inclination, but Ability to do real Service to your Country, by promoting and carrying on several Bills, which will greatly contribute to the publick Good, and transmit your Name with Honour to Posterity. You are a true Patriot, in the purest Sense of the Word; and, as such, I don't doubt, but you will think the following Pages highly worthy of your serious Consideration; and if you find any Hint in them fair, reasonable, and calculated for the Interest of your Fellow-subjects, you will gladly improve it, and readily concur in building upon it such an wholsome Law as may redress the Grievance complained of. I think it will be easily granted, that the Health of the Body is full as valuable as the Property of Estates. How difficult would it be for any Person to believe, that our Legislature is of that Opinion, who should observe, that there are so many good Laws enacted by every Parliament for the Defence of the one, and scarce ever any Care taken of the Preservation of the other? Indeed, within a long Series of Years, the Parliament has been most graciously pleased to cast an Eye towards the Health of the People, by an Act impowering Physicians to inspect Apothecaries Shops; by an Act for preventing the Retailing spirituous Liquors; and by an Act for the Encouragement of the Publication of Mrs.
Stephens
's Remedies. However, these Instances, few as they are, prove, that the Honourable House does not think the Health of the Nation intirely below their Care and Consideration; and therefore we ought to suppose, that the Reason why Acts of Parliament for the like good Purposes are not more frequent, is, that the House is not applied to on such Subjects in a proper manner; that the Grievances the People labour under are not fairly and plainly laid before the Members, or practical Methods of Redress are not pointed out.
The Health of a People can only be preserved by all the wholsome Laws the Wisdom of a Legislature can contrive, to prevent Luxury, Debauchery, and every kind of Immorality, which infallibly produce Diseases, or by frequent Inspections into the State of Physick in their Country, because Abuses will daily creep into every Society, or Set of Men, who find themselves under no Restraint, from any Apprehensions of being called to an Account for their Method of treating Mankind, in their most momentous Concernments. Tho' the first Part of this general Plan is highly worth your Consideration, yet I shall beg Leave to say a few Words to you in regard to the latter only.
The Reformation of the State of Physick in general is greatly wanting in this Nation, and, I believe, most warmly wished by every honest Man, even of the Faculty itself. But tho' general Reformations may be as difficult as they are desireable, yet some crying Enormities may themselves point out the Method of their own Redress.
If we consider the publick Humour of the good People of
England
for these last Twenty Years, one should be apt to conclude, that certain odd Conjunctions of the heavenly Bodies brought on epidemical Follies, as well as Diseases. How have
Shakespeare, Johnson, Otway,
and all the Plays capable of delighting the Mind, instructing the Head, or mending the Heart, been totally neglected, or coldly received, while dear
Harlequin!
charming Devil! has filled all our Affections, triumphed over our Judgments, and emptied our Pockets! During an Aera like this, when such crowded Audiences, composed of the great Vulgar and the small, gave such plain Demonstrations of their polite Taste, and profound Wisdom, is it to be wonder'd, that there should appear, from the malign Influences of the same Stars, Marks of an epidemical Madness in other Parts of the Town, as well as in the Theatre? No; Dr.
Faustus
will have the Honour to be handed down to Posterity as the illustrious Contemporary of a
Mapp,
a
Taylor,
and a
Ward.
The Historian of our Days will be able to inform his Readers, that the Infatuation was so general, that
Freind, Mead,
and
Pellet,
were as much eclipsed by this bright Constellation, as
Shakespeare
then was by a more happy Genius; a Gentleman, who, with surprizing Activity, could turn himself into all Shapes, and appear to be any Animal but what he really was. Such are the irresistible Charms of Delusion! Such the Happiness of being deceived, that all our Applauses rise in Proportion to the Artfulness of the Imposition, and the Difficulty of discovering the Cheat!
Let Mrs.
Mapp
's Bones rest in Peace, tho' she tortur'd so many in the Days of her Fame.
Let the dexterous Dr.
Taylor
be able to purge the visual Ray of our neighbour Nations, that they may see their true Interest to consist in treating
Great-Britain
with Honour and Respect.
Mr.
Ward
is the only medicinal Meteor which yet continues to shine amongst us, whose Fame has raised him to the highest Degree of Esteem and Admiration with the
Gay
and the
Polite,
on whose Authority and Judgment Thousands, and Tens of Thousands, of the lower Part of Mankind, swallow his Medicines with implicit Faith, and are said thereby to receive most wonderful Cures, in almost incurable Distempers. The Influence of this Gentleman's Reputation being now become so very extensive, his Manner of practising Physick cannot be thought a Subject unworthy the Notice and Consideration of the Legislature. I am sure, Sir, you will afford it your Attention, for a few Minutes, as it is of Importance to the Service of the Publick, to which I well know how much every Moment of your Time is dedicated.
I shall by no means take upon me to determine, whether the numberless Deaths laid to this Gentleman's Charge by his Opposers, or the unparallel'd Cures he is said to have performed by his Admirers, come nearest the Truth. What he owns himself, and what all his Friends allow, may, I hope, be taken for granted. He confesses, with great Candour, that he is wholly ignorant of the History and Nature of Diseases; that he understands nothing of Anatomy, or the animal Oeconomy; and that he only pretends to some Knowledge in Chymistry, by which Art he has discovered a few Medicines, of greater Efficacy in particular Cases, than those in common Use among regular Physicians. Suppose then, that what this Gentleman asserts is true, and that he has such powerful chymical Secrets in his Possession; must they not be capable of doing as much Harm, when ignorantly and promiscuously administered, as they would be of doing Good in the Hands of a Person duly qualified to know in what Cases, how, and when, properly to apply them? Will that noble christian Charity, which from this Gentleman's
known moral Character
cannot but be believed to be the sole Motive of his great Bounty to the Crowds of poor People who daily attend him, make amends for his dealing out these powerful Medicines so indiscriminately to all who shall pay him the Compliment of being willing to swallow them? Do the Multitude of Patients whom he never saw before, or will see afterwards, want no Attendance during the violent Operation of their Physick? No Person acquainted with the Nature of their Medicines, to relieve or correct any Accidents, which so often attend the most common and gentle Remedies? Surely it must appear, to every unprejudiced Person, that the most useful Drugs, under such Management, must be a sore Evil, and therefore that nothing can be more uncharitable, than thus to deceive and hurt a Multitude under the specious Pretence of Charity? But however faulty this Gentleman's Method of Practice may be, yet his Medicines may in themselves, and under proper Direction, be extremely valuable. Let us grant, that they are so; Is it not then incumbent on those who have the Good of the People at Heart, to endeavour to render these valuable Secrets a publick Benefit, which, under their present Circumstances, are so great a Calamity? Every Man ought to be rewarded for his Discovery of any thing that may be beneficial to Society. Mr.
Ward
should not be desired to part with his Property (and his Nostrums are undoubtedly such) without a reasonable Equivalent. The Parliament of
Great-Britain
is able to grant him this Equivalent, and they have a
Right
to
demand
the Knowledge of his Secrets on just and equitable Terms. An
Englishman,
who possesses a Piece of Ground which interrupts the making a River navigable, is
obliged
to part with his Property for the Good of the Community: Surely Mr.
Ward
's Property in his Secrets is not more inviolable, than what every Man has in his own Land; and therefore it cannot be looked upon as any Hardship, if he should be forced to part with them on like Conditions. Should such a Demand be made upon him by Parliament; should the Reward appointed be ob
ainable only by the Proof, before competent Judges, of his Medicines, when divulged, performing the same Cures on fair Subjects, which they are now said to do on his private Patients; and should he refuse to stand that only Test, what could be concluded from such a Refusal, but that he did not believe in his own Conscience, that they would perform what he and his Friends do now persuade the World to believe that they will do? Would not such a Refusal be a just and equitable Ground for the Parliament to forbid his farther dealing out these Medicines, (of which they would have Reason to believe that he had himself no Opinion) and by a wholsome Law, to prevent hi
Majesty's Subjects from being any longer cheated of their Money, if no
robb'd of their Lives. But as thi
Gentleman's great Cures are so wel
attested by many Persons of Fashion, whose Knowledge in such Matters cannot be disputed, I have no Reason to fear, that he would at all suspect the Efficacy of his Medicines, in all the desperate Cases, which he now so confidently undertakes. He will therefore undoubtedly submit them to an impartial Trial with the greatest Chearfulness, especially as he will, over and above the Reward appointed by Parliament, be sure of gratifying his most charitable Disposition in the Satisfaction of knowing, that, whereas before only some Thousands of his Countrymen enjoyed the Fruits of his Labours, then he will become a general Good to Mankind. The honourable Gentlemen who now talk of his Medicines as divine, and of his Cures as little less than miraculous, will all most heartily join in promoting this Publication; they will congratulate their Country on the inestimable Possession of these Secrets, which, but for the Care of our Legislature, might have slept in the single Breast of their Author, and have been buried with him in Oblivion, to the irreparable Loss of all future Ages!
As the Number of Inhabitants is the Riches of a Nation, while so many brave Men are losing their Lives abroad in the Service of their Country, let us not suffer those who remain at home to be daily thinned, either by the improper Application of Mr.
Ward
's Medicines, under his present Administration of them, or for want of their being made more universally useful by a speedy Publication.
The Gin Act is a glorious Instance of the tender Care of our Parliament for the Lives and Healths of our People, to whom that pernicious Liquor was promiscuously, and sometimes
charitably,
retailed, by such who preferred their own wicked Gains to the Welfare of all human Creatures.
Mrs.
Stephens
's Act is a plain Proof of the true Sense your honourable House has of the great Benefit of making any useful Discoveries in Physick; and it is likewise a proper Precedent of the Manner in which such Publications should be made, and of
he Tests and Trials such discovered Medicines must undergo in order to
ntitle their Authors to their due Reward. What may be a reasonable Sa
sfaction for Mr.
Ward
's doing this signal Service to his Country, I cannot guess at. If his Medicines will perform the Cures openly and fairly, which are now attributed to them, I think the Parliament cannot pay too much for the Knowledge of them, or Mr.
Ward
receive too great Honours from a grateful People. But should this Gentleman be so blind to his own Interest as to refuse to become this publick Blessing, on any Terms, can he expect to enjoy the warm Affections of hi
Countrymen, to whom he will appea
so charitable, and so hard-hearted, a
the same time? Should he refuse t
comply with the generous Desire
the Parliament, could he complain
they should exert their just Authorit
▪ If he refuses to save Millions, he ca
not surely think himself ill-treated
the Guardians of the Publick, if
should be forbid to destroy even his Thousands!
But to You, Sir, I humbly submit the Consideration of this
important
Point; I call it
important;
and what concerns the Lives of so many of the Innocent, and the Ignorant, deserves to be so called. I speak as a Friend to Mr.
Ward,
as well as to my Country. I propose a Method, by which, instead of being the Idol of a Few, he shall become the Darling of a whole People! by which he shall remove that huge Load of Scandal, which now lies upon him, to the great Chagrin of his Enemies, who shall pine with Envy at the Brightness of his Glory. The black List of his private Murders, which is now maliciously handed about by Physicians, and their Emissaries, shall whiten into a pompous Register of publick Cures, performed by his Medicines, on the miserable Objects, who had been delivered over to the iron Jaws of Death, by the Ignorance or Indolence of those Doctors, falsely so called, who have had no Opportunity of understanding Physick, but their having been bred to the Profession. By this means this worthy Gentleman shall be freed from that Labour and Toil with which he now serves his Country in his private Capacity. He shall do even more Good, and yet, as is most meet and fit, he shall be able to retire from the World, full of Days and Honours; he shall spend the few last Years he has to come in Dignity and Ease, enjoying the calm Evening of a well-spent Life, conversing with Nature in the most endearing Intimacy, to which he has arrived by torturing her ten thousand Ways, till he made her confess those very Secrets, which he has now communicated for the publick Good, and which shall draw down Blessings on him, and his Posterity, through all future Ages.
I beg therefore, Sir, for my Sake, as your Fellow-Citizen; for Mr.
Ward
's Sake, who can do us all so much Service; and for your Country's Sake, whose Interest you have so sincerely and warmly at Heart, that you will think seriously on this Matter. What you see to be right, I know you will vigorously pursue; and to your good Conduct the Whole is submitted, by, Sir,
Your most obedient humble Servant,
PHILANTHROPOS.