A concise historical sketch of the progress of pharmacy in Great Britain, from the time of its partial separation from the practice of medicine until the establishment of the Pharmaceutical society. Intended as an introduction to the Pharmaceutical journal / By Jacob Bell.

  • Bell, Jacobus, -1859.
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A concise historical sketch of the progress of pharmacy in Great Britain, from the time of its partial separation from the practice of medicine until the establishment of the Pharmaceutical society. Intended as an introduction to the Pharmaceutical journal / By Jacob Bell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/32 (page 4)
    book, so far forth that common artificers, as smiths, weavers, and women, boldly and accustomably take upon them great cures, and things of great difficulty, in the which they partly use sorcery and witchcraft, partly apply such medicines unto the disease as be very noxious, and nothing meet therefore, to the high displeasure of God, great infamy to the faculty, and the grevious hurt, damage, and destruction of many of the King’s liege people ; most especially of them that cannot discern the uncunning from the cunning. Be it therefore (to the surety and comfort of all manner of people) by the authority of this present Parliament enacted, That no person within the city of London, nor within seven miles of the same, take upon him to exercise and occupy as a Physician or Surgeon, except he be first examined, approved, and admitted by the Bishop of London, or by the Dean of St. Paul’s, for the time being, calling to him or them four Doctors of Physic, and for Surgery, other expert persons in that faculty : and for the first examination such as they shall think convenient, and afterward alway four of them that have been so approved. * * * “ That no person out of the said city and precinct of seven miles of the same, except he have been (as is aforesaid) approved in the same, take upon him to exercise and occupy as a Physician or Surgeon,, in any diocess, within this realm, but if he be first examined and approved by the Bishop of the same diocess, or he being out of the diocess, by his vicar-general : either of them calling to them such expert persons in the said faculties, as their discretion shall think convenient*. * * * * ” By this act the faculty of medicine was vestedjn one body of practitioners, who practised Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy. The Physicians’ assistants were styled Apothecaries, and they, gradually acquiring information respecting the properties of drugs, began to transact business on their own account. In the year 1518, Thomas Linacre, the Physician of Henry the Eighth, proposed the establishment of a College of Physicians, which was accomplished on the 23d of September of that year. The powers of this body were extended in the year 1540 : the Physicians were exonerated from the necessity of attendance on juries and parochial offices, f and were empowered to enter the houses of Apothecaries in London, “ to search, view, and see the Apothecary-wares, drugs, and stuffs,” and to destroy such as they found corrupt or unfit for use. In the same year the Barbers and Surgeons were united into one company, but the Surgeons were prohibited from shaving, and the Barbers were restricted from performing any surgical operations, except drawing teeth. The Physicians, however, were allowed to prac¬ tise surgery. The Surgeons having abused their privileges, an act was passed, in the year 1542, of which the following is the substance : Whereas in the Parliament holden at Westminster, in the third year of the King’s Most Gracious Reign, amongst other things, for the avoiding of sorceries, witchcrafts, and other inconveniences, it was enacted, That no person within the City of London, nor within seven miles of the same * Dr. Goodall’s History of the College of Physicians, t The Surgeons had been exonerated from these duties in the year 1513.