Page:Merret - A short view of the frauds and abuses committed by apothecaries.pdf/37

 he knows well enough how to effect) and then to tell him he will prepare him one of his own that will work, when perhaps that he calls his own preparation, was nothing but what the Doctor had prescribed before; and by this Artifice to advance himself above the Physician.

Another mischief in sending Bills to the Apothecaries is, that though the Apothecaries be honest (and who can tell which of them is so?) yet the Servants neglect, or ignorance (to whom they commit the whole care of dispensing, and are in truth the Apothecaries (and not their Masters) may mar all in their Matters absence, who is visiting abroad, or at his recreations.

And now I have done with the unpleasant talk of raking into the faults of the Apothecaries, and with discoursing how Physicians may save themselves from their devices, I shall next shew the advantages that will come to the Patient, the Physician, and people, by this way of remedy proposed.

As for the Patients, they may hereby save most of the great charges of Apothecaries Bills, which in long Cases amount to very great sums in a year, although the Physician hath received very few Fees; the Physician may so order his business as to take his Fee for his Visits only, and at home such competent Fees for his advice alone, as are usually given, and in both Cases take nothing for his Medicines, and so save the Patient the whole charge of the Apothecaries Bill, which very seldom comes short, and for the most part manifoldly exceeds the Physicians Fees. And this he may very well do by making fewer, less chargable, Rh