Pharmacomastix, or, The office, use, and abuse of apothecaries explained : the present degenerate state of pharmacy, with its manifold corruptions and adulterations, considered; and some essays on reforming thereof humbly addressed to a Member of Parliament, with intent to shew the necessity of amending and continuing a temporary statute, for preventing frauds and abuses committed in the making and vending unsound, adulterate, and bad drugs and medicines, now near expiring / By the author of the scheme on which the said statute was founded [Charles Lucas].

  • Lucas, Charles, 1713-1771.
Date:
1741
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pharmacomastix, or, The office, use, and abuse of apothecaries explained : the present degenerate state of pharmacy, with its manifold corruptions and adulterations, considered; and some essays on reforming thereof humbly addressed to a Member of Parliament, with intent to shew the necessity of amending and continuing a temporary statute, for preventing frauds and abuses committed in the making and vending unsound, adulterate, and bad drugs and medicines, now near expiring / By the author of the scheme on which the said statute was founded [Charles Lucas]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/94 (page 4)
    health and temporal happinefs of a confiderable part of mankind. Therefore J fliall venture, without any farther apology, to fubmit the following lines to your ferious confideration. There is no well regulated country where the Legislature has not made fome provilion for the prefervation of the health of the Body natural, as well as for that of the Body politic ; yet pity it is, that in moil, for want of due Information, all the Laws hitherto ena£ted in regard to Medicine, have fallen far ihort of ids good intentions. For as an Evil wliofe fource or caufe is unknown muff be remedilefs; fo is it fcarce poffible, that the Frauds or Abufes in any art or trade, tho5 ever fo pernicious to fociety, can be prevented or puniilied by law, until they are firft difcovered and made apparent to the law-givers.—If fome of the honed: artifts or tradefmen of every occupation, would ingenuoufly difclofe the fecret corruptions of their refpedtive callings (without which they may for ever efcape the cognizance and cenfure of the Legislature) we might then hope for a general reformation. But alas ! we are too like the Ephefian fmitb in fcripture, ready upon every attempt to purge us from iniquity, to cry out with him, Ehe craft is in danger. The natural, fragile ftrufture of the human Frame, which has rendered it fubjed: to fundry inevitable viciflitudes, from the force of external bodies, from the alterations of the air, the nature of the aliments, and from the very vital addons, has made the healing art in genera], of all others the molt ufeful and neceiTary for the fupport and well¬ being of mankind, and nearly coaval with the Creation *f\ So fenfible were men in all ages of the ufefulhefs and dignity of Phyfic, that it has ever been held in the utmoft reverence and efteem. The f Bcerh. Indit. Medic, ProJegom.