Page:Merret - A short view of the frauds and abuses committed by apothecaries.pdf/21

, and the Physician left to his own judgment; an hence it is that many enlarge their Bills, that the Patient may think he hath enough for his money, whereby the Apothecary is gratified, who ought to commend the Medicines as necessary for the sick person, and singular in themselves, whereas in truth this great farcy proves ungrateful to the taft and stomach; inconvenient to health, by curing one disease, but creating more; and by this means keeping them continually in a way of Physic.

A third abuse of the Apothecaries relates to the prices of their Medicines; firft they put what rates they please on their Simples, Compounds, and Receipts, and none are judges of them, but those of their own trade, insomuch that they gain a 11 d. in the Shilling, if they say true of themselves. Whereas the Colleges of Physicans beyond Sea, yearly set a tax upon the Simples, and Compounds of the Shops. So that the Customer can tell the price of what he hath occasion to use, and not stand at the mercy of the Apothecary to rate them as he lifts, and to this purpose they put in print the prices of them every year.

Secondly, Suppose a Physician hath prescribed a Pint of Juleb, &c. to be taken at four several times, some Apothecaries carry not the whole pint at once, but divide it into four parts, and carry but one at a time, and so of other Medicines, and then will charge their Bill for every single Potion, or Draught, as they ought the whole Pint; so that by this Art they gain four times as much for the whole Medicine as in Conscience they ought; and a Juleb, which cost them six Rh