medicine; the fourth was his printer, who was compelled to purchase a bottle, and lend his name. The fifth was the printer's devil, at the printing office of a Sunday Paper. The sixth, a milkman. The seventh, a shoeblack; all of whom are in the advertisement, styled Esquires! The most respectable person of the thirty, is a publisher of pamphlets, who candidly declared he never took the medicine, but in consequence of being employed to publish his Treatise, he gave him permission to make use of his name! I afterwards called on the proprietor himself. He said, he had no doubt but that his Essence would soon restore me to health, and if I did not take it, I should soon fall into a consumption. In consequence of his having acknowledged that he was ignorant of anatomy and diseases, I asked him how he knew that the persons whose names he has advertised as cured by his medicine were consumptive? to which he replied, that consumption of all other diseases was the easiest to detect; the loss of flesh constitute ing the disease. I asked, if cough was a symptom, to which he answered, not necessarily !"

The editors hope to be honoured with a continu ance of Mr. Fawkner's valuable communications: they will be obliged to him to favour them with the name of the medicine alluded to in the postscript of his letter. If it be Madden's Vegetable Essence, he will find it noticed in our last number.

OF

THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

IN

GREAT BRITAIN,

AS CONDUCTED BY PHYSICIANS, SURGEONS, APOTHECARIES, &c. &c.

THE Practice of Physic in this country, was under no legal restraint, till the third year of Henry VIII. when a law was enacted, that none should exercise the faculty of physic or surgery, within the city of London, or seven miles of the same, unless first examined, approved, and admitted, by the Bishop of London, or Dean of St. Paul's, calling to him or them four Doctors of Physic: and for surgery, other expert persons in that faculty, upon pain, or forfeiture of 51. for every month they should practise physic, not thus admitted or allowed. There was no society or college of physicians directed by, and circumscribed within laws and orders, or formed into a corporation, till the 10th of Henry VIII; when that Monarch granted a charter, dated the 23d of Sep

U

tember, at Westminster; to incorporate certain Physicians in one body, and perpetual fellowship, or community of the faculty of physic, and to have a perpetual succession, and a common seal. Eight of the chiefs of the college, elect yearly from among themselves, a president, to oversee, rule and govern the said fellowship, in all men of the same faculty; by virtue whereof they were enabled to purchase, and possess in fee, and perpetuity, lands, tenements, rents, and any other possession; that they might implead or be impleaded; that they might make statutes and ordinances for the wholesome government and correction of the college, and of all the persons practising physic, within seven miles of London; and within that compass none to practise, as well as in the City, unless first allowed by the president and fellowship, upon pain of forfeiture of 51. for every month. Also persons practising in other parts of England, are to have letters testimonial from the president and three elect, unless they be graduate Physicians of Oxford or Cambridge: such practitioners, not thus qualified, are not subject to penalty or punishment; the college of Physicians having no power of enforcing the statutes: very few country Physicians, therefore, are Licentiates of the college.

The statutes of 32 Hen. VIII. chap, 5, and 10 Geo. I. chap. 20, ordain, that four Physicians called

en

censors, shall be elected annually, who, with the assistance of the Wardens of the Apothecary's Company, are to search the houses, shops, and warehouses of Apothecaries, &c. examine the medicines therein contained, and to destroy those that are defective, decayed, or not fit for use; but, subject to an appeal of the College of Physicians. Apothecaries denying them trance, are to forfeit 51. and Physicians refusing to make such search, forty shillings; and every member of the College of Physicians is authorized to practise surgery in London or elsewhere! Upon a complaint made about the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, by Jenkins and Read, against the college, which had used some punishment towards them for evil practice in physic, and exercising that art without their license; after a long and careful hearing on both sides, Lord Chief Justice Popham, in the year 1602, gave his judgment, the sum of which was in these particular words:

1st. That there was no sufficient license without the college seal.

2d. That no Surgeon, as a Surgeon, might practise physic, nor for any disease, though it was the great pox.

3d. That the authority of the college was suf ficient to commit to prison.

4th. That the censure of the college rising

from lesser mulcts to greater, was equal and reasonable.

5th. That it was fit to set to Physicians' bills, the day of the month and the patient's name.

6th. That the Lord Chief Justice could not bail the college prisoner, but was obliged by law to deliver him up to the college censure.

7th. That a freeman of London might lawfully be imprisoned by the college.

8th. That no man, however so learned a Physician, or Doctor, might practise in London, or within 7 miles, without the college license.

This society had, in ancient times, their college in Knightrider's Street, being the gift of Dr. Linacre, Physician to Henry VIII. who was an active member. In the revolution of a few years, this was disposed of, and a house and ground purchased in Warwick Lane.

Here the nine great discourses on the Circulation of the Blood, were given by our countryman, the immortal Harvey; a name dear and revered by science. Dr. Harvey, Anno Dom. 1650 built a library, and public hall, which he gave for ever to the college, with his stock of books; and endowed it with his estates, which he resigned during his life time; part of which he assigned for an anniversary oration, to commemorate all their benefactors, and to exhort others to follow their good exam