REASONS: WHY THE APOTHECARY May be suppos'd to Understand the Administration of Medicines In the CURE of DISEASES, As well as the PHYSICIAN.
In a Letter from an
APOTHECARY
to a
PHYSICIAN.
Et herbarum subjecta est Potentia nobis.
Ovid. Metam.
Lib.
1.
LONDON:
Printed for
Luke Stokoe,
at the
Golden-Key
and
Bible
at
Charing-Cross,
1704.
Reasons, why the
Apothecary
may be supposed to understand the Administration of Medicines in the Cure of Diseases, as well as the
Physician.
SIR,
YOU have at length found the most effectual means to prevail with me, to break thro' the resolution I had taken, of having no share in the present Controversie between the
Physicians
and the
Apothecarys,
by imputing my Silence to the badness of my Cause: In the Vindication of which, you are pleas'd to say, no Sober or Ingenious Person will offer to draw his Pen.
I must confess, I have hitherto been of the Opinion of the Major part of our Profession; that what has yet appear'd in publick against us, has not deserv'd a serious Answer, most of it being taken up on Prejudice, the rest a Scandalous Aspersion, invented by a peevish Set of Men, who were angry that any body thriv'd beside themselves.
Thus then have you unwillingly forced me into a spacious Field, where on each side I may extend and dilate my self; and which way soever I turn, may find at least
quantum sufficit
of Matter to Work upon.
But since you keep a more than ordinary pother with the high Advantages which the
Physicians
have over us, I shall chuse to examine the truth of that Assertion, and endeavour to set those High Advantages, (as you call 'em) in a true light; and then leave the Impartial World to Judge, whether all be Gospel which proceeds from the Pen of a Dispensary
Physician.
And first it is pretended, That the
Phsician,
by his liberal Education, (that is, by being bred at an
Academy
) has greater and more frequent opportunities of being instructed in the Practice of
Physick,
than the
Apothecary
can have; and that not only from his own private Reading and Observation, the Care and Direction of his Tutor, but also from the publick Lectures of the Physick Professor.
Now if it be expected that this Argument should have any force against us, it must first be prov'd what extraordinary Benefits those are which Young Students receive from Tutors and Physick Professors; and not think that we shall barely assent to them, or believe them to be such mighty things upon their single Affirmation. I fear when these wonderful Lectures come to be examin'd, they will appear little better than Barren Animadversions on
Galen, Hippocrates,
or some other of the old Physical Authours; which every Man is capable of doing, who is able to read and understand them. And I believe we may venture to add, that the Auditors of these Lectures generally return with the same degree of Knowledge and Satisfaction, as a late Assembly did from a Lecture at
Exeter-Exchange,
against the
Circulation of the Blood.
It is again Objected against us, That the Opportunities of being Advanc'd in the Knowledge of
Anatomy
and
Chymistry,
so essential to the Qualification of a Person who is to Administer Physick, are greater in the
Academy
than in any other place; and from whence the
Apothecary
is totally excluded.
It must be allow'd, that the understanding the wonderful Contrivance and Texture of so admirable a Machine, as is that of the
Humane Body,
is no ordinary part of Science, and what undoubtedly the Person who Administers Physick ought to be acquainted withal. From which notwithstanding, I cannot see how the
Apothecary
is totally excluded, since there are constant Anatomical Dissections at the
Surgeon
's
Hall,
which is open to
Apothecarys
as well as
Physicians;
and where I presume there is more to be seen in one Year, than the Young
Physician
meets withal in six at his
Academy.
The pretended Advantages they have over us in
Chymistry,
are of a-piece with those before mention'd: For not to Instance our own private
Elaboratorys,
the publick
Elaboratory
at the
Hall,
where all Chymical Preparations are made in the highest Perfection, is a sufficient Confutation of that groundless Assertion.
These,
Sir,
Being the principal Reasons on which You build your
Hypothesis,
namely, the Advantages which the
Physician
has over the
Apothecary,
I shall not content my self with this general Reflection on them, but shall proceed to examine them more closely, and particularly that of Studying at the
Ʋ niversity,
by which is meant a liberal Education, as if the Streams of Polite Literature and Knowledge were not alike diffus'd throughout the
Globe,
but were scantily confin'd to the Banks of
Cham
or
Isis.
We will suppose then, An
Apothecary,
who is Master of the
Latin
and
Greek
Tongues, (as there are few of them but are) to be as duly Qualified for the Reading, Comparing and Animadverting on
Physical
Authours, as the
Academic Physician,
which I think no sober Intelligent Person will de
y, if he allows that the
Greek
and
Latin
Tongues as Taught at
Westminster, Pauls,
&c. to be as fit for that purpose, as what the Young
Physician
generally carries with him to
Oxford,
&c.
Neither will it be disputed with me, I think, that Reading, Reffection, Observation and Experiment, are the only known means of acquiring Humane Learning and Science: To all which, the
Apothecary
thus Qualified, has as fair pretences as the most Elevated
Physician
of 'em all; and wherein the
Apothecary
may as reasonably be thought to make as great a Proficience, provided he uses the same Industry and Application.
It may be objected, That altho' the
Apothecary
be thus Qualified, yet whilst he is an Apprentice he has little or no time for these Studys, if he had never so great an Inclination; that what with the Duty to his Master, and the common Necessities and Expence of Life, which ask some time to be repair'd in spight of us, there will be little or none left for any thing else.
To this I Answer, That altho' for the first Year or two there may be little else done, yet by that time he begins to have a true Tast of the Matter, and his Reason shines forth with brighter Rays: If he be a Youth of any Spirit and Emulation, he will and do's find a thousand opportunities of advancing his Knowledge, equal, if not superiour to the
Academic Physician.
The
Apothecary
then thus Qualified, may very reasonably be thought to understand the Study of Physick, the Natures of Diseases and their Cures, equally with the
Physician,
tho' he cannot boast the High Advantages of a liberal Education and
Accademic
Accomplishments.
Whilst the
Physician
contends with us after this manner, we shall never recede from these Principles: But if he shall say, That the Advantages of an
Academic
Education are a better Foundation for him to Set up for a Wit, a Poet, or Entertaining Company; then indeed we submit, frankly acknowledging that we industriously shun those
Arts,
which rather tend to the Subversion and Destruction of the Animal Life, than its Preservation and Emolument.
If then the equal Learning of the
Apothecary
sets him upon a level with the
Physician,
notwithstanding his boasted Advantages over him, it can never be imagin'd that the Composition and Administration of Medicines by which he discovers their Nature and Operations, will be any hindrance to him in the persecution of those Studies which naturally lead him to any inquiry into the Structure and Oeconomy of the Humanedy, and the manner how these
Medicines
he prepares Operate upon it.
This certainly without Vanity we may affirm, That we understand the
Materia Medica
as well, not to say better than most Dispensary
Physicians.
The World is very sensible what Advantages they owe to these Modern Reformers of Physick; to whose wonderful penetration we have not yet heard that Physick has been Obliged for one Addition or Discovery: But that is not their business, 'tis sufficient for them if they can libel the Town in their awkard Exclamations against the
Apothecarys,
by which they vainly imagin'd to have Ingross'd the whole Art of Compounding and Vending Medicines to the Publick. But alas! fond deluded Men, This knowing Age was not to be led Hoodwink'd to their Ruin. The Town saw through the thin Disguise, and laugh at the senseless Contrivance: They knew the Abilitys of those Persons who undertook the Project, and that most of 'em so far from being able to Compound Medicines as they ought to be, scarce knew the Distinction between
Mint
and
Cardus.
It may be thought perhaps, that here I have a little Transgress'd, and gone beyond the limits of Truth, for that so small a degree of Knowledge is sufficient for that purpose, that it is next to impossible that even a Dispensary
Physician
should be without it. Whatever may be thought of it, I have undeniable Proofs of this Assertion to produce, when ever provok'd to it.
'Tis certain, That however Angry the Dispensary
Physicians
may be with us at present, they had once a better Opinion of our Abilitys and Understanding; I mean, when they Compos'd that most Elaborate Piece, the
London Dispensatory;
where 'tis evident they did not understand what they were about, by the unaccountable Jumble of Alteratives and Cathartics in the same Composition: Nay, nor even the making the Composition it self; else, What is the meaning that we so often meet with
Ʋ t Artis Est, Secundum Artum,
and the like? By which at least they tacitely confess that we are the more knowing of the Two.
Since so much has been said of the Dispensary
Physicians,
it may not be unseasonable to speak a Word of their
Mighty Captain,
and to desire the Impartial Reader to Examine that Famous Book, which has made so much Noise in the World; wherein the Ignorance of its Writer is so very Conspicuous, that we need hardly point at his Mistakes.
His Catalogue of
Drugs
and Simples, (notwithstanding the whole Conspiracy labour'd for its Birth) is a handsom Specimen of his Knowledge in the
Materia Medica;
wherein there is scarce a Paragraph which has not some one or more rang'd in their improper Classes.
The Senseless Remarks he has made on some of the best of Medicines, show rather the Fertility of his Spleen, than his Understanding: The which nevertheless he fancies unanswerable, by his having taken so much pains to bring Quotations from some Authours as Obscure and Splenatick as himself for his Vouchers.
His Spleen and Ignorance will be the more remarkable, when we reflect on that Part of his Book, where with his wonted Assurance he tells his Readers, That when it shall please the
Almighty Dispenser
of all things, to afflict them with any Malady, that they need not be very sollicitous concerning the means of their Cure, that they have nothing to fear but the Lethiferous
Apothecary;
That if it should so happen that no Dispensary
Physician
be at hand, 'tis much safer to trust to the uncertain Event of the Disease, and the Direction of Nature, or to any thing else, tho' it were but an Old Woman and
Water-Gruel,
than this Bugbear
Apothecary.
This is fine Jargon, and without doubt will be very grateful to a Person tortur'd with a Fit of the
Stone,
or indeed in any other violent Paroxysm or Convulsion of Nature.
It is confess'd, that Nature is most wise in all her Productions; and that if we will closely attend to her, she will never fail to Indicate to us the true way by which she would be assisted by us in her Labours. But this I take to be beyond the Power and Address of an Old Woman, or even of our Dispensary
Physician
himself.
To say but one Word more of the Ingenuity of this mighty
Authour;
and that is, that all the Bustle he has made in this Matter, arose from a private Quarrel between him and an
Apothecary,
who it seems was a Man of too much Honour, and of too tenacious a Temper for the Friendship of this worthy
Physician.
When these things I say shall be duly consider'd, I make no question but the World will have just such an opinion of him and his Performance as they both deserve.
Since then the
Apothecary
is not obliged to the Receipts of the
Physician
for his Knowledge in the
Administration of Medicines in the Cure of Diseases,
as the Vulgar falsly imagine, but goes to the same Fountain and Drinks as large and as pure Draughts of Knowledge as himself: And since most of us are ready to confess, that their Receipts have been so far from being a Direction to us, that they have rather prov'd
Ignes Fatui
to mislead us into those Errours we have been guilty of, in relation to Practice.
Since the Present Learning and Labours of the
Apothecaries
are so abundantly evident in this Town, that it would be perfectly needless for me to mention them.
And since we do, and can give Reasons equally with the
Physician,
of the different Operations of Medicines us'd in the Cure of Diseases; Why are we thus Branded with the Opprobrious Names of
Quacks, Mountebanks, Empiricks,
and what not, by the Mouth of the Conspiracy, that Mighty Champion for the Cause, The Renowned Dr.
Pitt. O Doctiorum puicquid est Assurgite huic tam colendo Nomini.
'Tis possible, It may be thought by what I have said, that I intended to bring an Odium on the Manner of Education, as now Practic'd at the Universities, and on those Learned Gentlemen who have been Educated there. I shall only beg leave to assure those Honourable Foundations, for whom I have the Profoundest Veneration, That I Contend for nothing but the bare Priviledge which our School-Learning Intitles us to, namely, the Understanding
Greek
and
Latin
Authours, as well as the
Physicians,
tho' we have not had the Pleasure of being brought up under their Benign Tuition.
And as for those truly Learned and Worthy
Physicians,
who have not departed from their Integrity, We are so far from the thoughts of Interposing in their Practice, That We are, and always shall be ready, as it is our Duty, to Recommend and Introduce them, when ever it is in our Power.
Thus,
Sir,
Have I Answer'd Your Request; and I hope have made it appear as much as the Brevity of this Letter will permit, that those High Advantages you seem so fond of, are not so Unanswerable as You imagin'd; and that in reality, They are no more than Vain, Empty, Airy Notions, the Genuine Production of the Imagination of a Dispensary
Physician.
As this is barely a
Specimen
of what I have to bring against You, when Leisure and Opportunity offer themselves, I would desire You, as a Friend, in the mean time, to provide your self with a better Shield, to Ward off the Blows of Your Adversary, than your Boasted Advantages are like to prove: And withal, that You will Publish Your Next, that the World may judge fairly the Merits of the Cause, and give the Crown to the Conquerour.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
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