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(No. 23.)

Anno 1616.
Recital.

Name.

Business apothecaries,

of

Charter, May 30. 13 Jac. 1. (Willcock's Laws, p. ccxxx.)

RECITING a grant on the 9th of April, in the

year of

his reign to the grocers' company, and the mischiefs which had arisen from the sale of improper medicines, &c. and his own wisdom and mightiness, and the propriety of separating the apothecaries' from the grocers' company, the king grants that the apothecaries shall be separate from, and constitute a company distinct from that of, the grocers, and free from their by-laws, regulations, jurisdiction, and privileges. And, to promote the full dignity of the faculty of the pharmacopolites, before sunk into disrepute and despised, he grants to certain persons therein named, and all other persons educated in the faculty of pharmacy, and practising it, being freemen of the grocers' company, or of any other company of London, that they, and all such, practising within London and its suburbs and seven miles around, shall constitute a corporation, by the name of the Master, Wardens, and Society of the Art and Mystery of Pharmacopolites of the City of London.

That no person, free of the grocers' or any other mystery who may not in London, except those of the apothecaries' company,

carry on.

shall keep any apothecary's shop, or make, compound, administer, sell, send out, advertise, or offer for sale any medicines, distilled waters, compounded chemical oils, decoctions, syrups, conserves, eclegmas, electuaries, medical condiments, pills, powders, lozenges, oils, unguents, or plasters; or otherwise, in any manner or in any branch of it, practise the faculty of an apothecary within seven miles of London, under the penalty of 57. a month, leviable by distress, and recover

able by the junior warden, by action of debt or otherwise, in any court of Westminster.

That no person shall so practise, &c. unless he has served an apprenticeship of seven years with some apothecary practising and free of that mystery, and afterwards appeared and been presented before the master and wardens, and been by them, calling to their assistance the president of the College of Physicians, or some physician or physicians assigned by him, if willing to be present, as to his knowledge and choice of simples, and as to the preparation, dispensing, application, mixture, and composition of medicines examined and approved.

apothecaries.

That the master and wardens may have the oversight, Correction of scrutiny, examination, government, and correction of all, as well free as others, practising the faculty of an apothecary, or any branch of it as aforesaid, within London, its liberties, or suburbs.

of medicines.

That they and each of them, or any of the assistants by Examination them assigned, may, at seasonable times, and in convenient manner, as often as to them shall seem fit, enter any house, shop, &c. of any person using or practising as aforesaid, any where within London, or seven miles around, where any such medicines, &c. may probably be found, and examine whether such medicaments, &c., and all other things appertaining to the art of an apothecary, are proper for the health and relief of the people.

of apothe

That the master and wardens, and the assistants, by the Examination master and wardens for that purpose appointed, should have caries. authority to examine and approve all persons who should profess, use, or exercise the art of an apothecary, or any branch of it, within London, or its liberties, or seven miles around the city, as to their knowledge, skill, and science

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therein, and to prohibit the practice of the art to all persons whom they should find wanting sufficient skill therein.

That they might destroy all such medicines, &c. as they shall find false, illegal, adulterated, or otherwise unfit, &c. before the doors of the offenders, and punish them by fines as aforesaid.

That all mayors, justices, constables, &c. should aid the master and wardens, and the assistants, &c. by them appointed.

That the master, wardens, and society, might have and enjoy all such franchises, privileges, customs, advantages, &c., in respect of aromatics, pharmacy, drugs, and other things pertaining to their art, as they did before, when included in the grocers' company

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It is then provided, that nothing in this charter should interfere with the authority of the president and college of physicians in the oversight and correction of pharmacy; but that they and all physicians of the college, and the physicians of the king, queen, and princes, might, at their pleasure in all things, practise the medical art, and enjoy all their former jurisdictions, powers, and privileges; and that the president and college of physicians might call to them the master and wardens of the apothecaries, in all cases in which they might have called any of the grocers' company, for the scrutiny of medicines, &c.; and that these physicians might not, on any occasion, call any of the grocers' company to them for this purpose.

And that nothing in it should prejudice the city of London, its privileges, jurisdiction, &c.

And that all surgeons, experienced and approved, might exercise their art and faculty, and use and enjoy their proper practice in the composition and application of external

medicines alone; so that they did not vend medicines, or expose them to sale, according to the common practice of apothecaries.

And finally granted that this charter should not be less valid, because the true value, &c. is not mentioned with the usual non obstante.

(No. 24.)

Charter, 15 Aug. 5 Car. 1. (Willcock's Laws, p. clxxix.)

A.

All surgeons

Reciting, 32 Hen. 8. c. 42., that the company had divers Anno 1630. lands, privileges, liberties, customs, &c. under that and other acts of parliament, and divers charters, the necessity of suppressing the practice of impostors and ignorant persons, &c. confirms such lands, court leets, privileges, liberties, customs, &c. Reciting charter 2 James 1. as to the superintendence of the faculty and other powers, &c.; and the great increase of the population in the neighbourhood of London, and of surgeons, grants, "That all and singular, as well freemen of the said society as foreigners, whether they be native subjects within seven of this our kingdom of England, or aliens, professing and exercising the mystery or art of barber and surgeon, or either of them, within our cities of London and Westminster, the liberties and suburbs thereof, and in other towns, hamlets, and places whatsoever, within the distance of seven miles of the said city of London, as well within the liberties as without, for their own private lucre and profit (physicians duly approved of by the president and commonalty of the college of physicians, London, and admitted and allowed to practise physic, being only excepted), shall and may, from

miles of Lon.

don

subject to the time to time, for ever hereafter, be subject and tied down to

company.

C.

None may practise surgery

the power, supervisal, scrutiny, examination, government, summons, convocation, ordination, swearing, correction, and all impositions, taxes, and collections whatsoever, of the aforesaid masters or governors of the mystery and commonalty of barbers and surgeons of London, and their successors, masters, or governors, of the said corporation, and to all and all manner of pecuniary payments, charges, fines, amerciaments, imprisonments, pains and penalties whatsoever, by the aforesaid masters or governors of the mystery and commonalty aforesaid, for the time being, from time to time inflicted or imposed: and that all and singular such persons professing or exercising the aforesaid arts of barbers and surgeons, or either of them, within our said cities of London and Westminster, or in whatsoever towns, hamlets, and places, within seven miles of our said city of London (except before excepted), shall be holden and subject to and by the same laws, ordinances, oaths, impositions, taxes, fines, imprisonments, distresses, penalties, prescriptions, and constitutions, to and by which the barbers and surgeons of the said city of London, by any acts of parliament whatsoever, or by any charters or letters patent whatsoever of any of our progenitors or predecessors heretofore to the aforesaid masters or governors of the mystery and commonalty aforesaid, by whatsoever names, made and granted, may or ought to be holden."

Then several clauses as to the election, &c. of examiners. "That no person or persons whatsoever, for the future, whether he or they be a freeman or freemen of the said society, or a foreigner or foreigners, and whether he or they be a native subject or subjects of this kingdom of England, or an alien or aliens, shall use or exercise the said art or

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