58 Transactions. 



practising in Surgery and to make report thereof in writing 

 to the Magistrates. 



On the 15th of October there was produced and given in 

 to the Council a certificate under the hands of Dr Ebenezer 

 Gilchrist, William and Joseph Johnstons, Thomas Gordon 

 and Thomas Morrison, Chyrurgeons, bearing that they having 

 by appointment of the Magistrates and Town Council of 

 this burgh examined Nicholas Holding indweller there with 

 respect to his knowledge in Physick and Surgerie which he 

 has for some time past assumed to practise in this town and 

 country adjacent they found him entirely destitute of the 

 least knoMdedge necessary to the practice of those arts be- 

 sides being highly illiterat never having served any appren- 

 ticeship or had opportunity otherwise to qualify him for 

 practice in either of the foresaid arts and therefore gave it 

 as their opinion that he is not only highly unfit but 

 dangerous to be trusted with the health or lives of mankind 

 which certificate is dated the 10th of October. Which 

 report with the petition given in by Elizabeth Moffat and a 

 petition given in this day by the said Nicholas Holding 

 representing that he ought to have been called when the 

 dressing of the said Elizabeth Moffat's arm was quarrelled 

 by the surgeons and at that time might have probably given 

 them a satisfactory answer for after his first dressing the 

 said arm the same had been loosed by persons of no manner 

 of skill or experience at least poultises and plaisters of their 

 own contriving laid thereto for several days which had occa- 

 sioned the spoyling of the arm if it was spoiled and probably 

 he might have prevented cutting of the same and though he 

 had no extraordinar learning yet it was known that a person 

 of long experience and practise had performed cures as well 

 as a learned surgeon and which was the case with him as 

 appeared by certificates therewith produced. 



Being considered by the said Magistrates and Council 

 with the foresaid pretended certificates subscribed by some 

 poor people in this burgh and others unknown to the Magis- 

 trates and Council and the said Nicholas Holding being 



