BOOK III. CHAP. VI. 583 



To lay the foundation of unceafing benefit to mankind in this 

 way, is a work of the nobleO: ambition that can infpire the human 

 mind. How apphaudcd is the patriotifm and benevolence of thofe 

 princes, who iiave ereded bridges, formed roads, cut navif^able 

 canals, made fecure harbours, and executed other plans of great 

 public utihty! They are delervedly ftyled the fathers and friends 

 of their country. Nor lefs fo the phylician; who is really a father 

 to thofe who enjoy their life through his means. 



Opifer per orhem dicor was thought an epithet the moft honour- 

 able of any to be conferred on the fabulous god of phyfic ; and not 

 undefervedly ; for, if there is a being upon earth to whom divine 

 honours could, without impropriety, be of^'ered, it is a learned, vir- 

 tuous, and communicative phyfician^ 



To defcribe the ftate of phyfick in this ifland, would be an invi- 

 dious talk. It is happily flipplied with feveral men of great abi^ 

 lity. But, as every plantation requires what is called a iJoBor, it is 

 ueedlefs to ohferve, that there are too many pretenders to the 

 fcience, as in other countries, the practice not being as yet put 

 under any regulation by law. It may be fome aniufement to my 

 reader to be prefented with the hiftory of a Jamaica quack; not 

 that he is to regard it as an epitome of all the pradlitioners. ^li 

 capita illefacit. To a few it may be applicable; but^ for the credit 

 of human nature, I declare it is not applicable to any contiderable 

 number. Mr. ApQ%eni, the hero of my narrative, was the fon of a 

 houfe-carpenter in London. At the age of twelve, he was put to 

 a graminar-fchool ; and, at fifteen,, removed from thence, and ap- 

 preiuiced to an apothecary,, of mean circumilances, and very little 

 bufinefs ; but he was an old acquaintance of the father, and a 

 member of a weekly porter-club, where they had regularly met 

 each other for .twenty years, and contra£led a fl:ri£l frienddiip. 

 During the firft three years of apprentlcefhip, Mr. Apozem had 

 no other employment t^cc^t xo fcrape ^nd Jkveep out the (hop every 

 morning, clean hhmajier'' s poes^ and ^0 071 errands \ and, when he 

 had jull attained his nineteenth year, his mafter unfortunately 

 dying by one of his own naufeous compofitions, inadvertently 

 fwallowed, he returned to his father's houfe, wliere he continued 

 pcrfeftly idle for about a twelvemonth ; when an opportunity of- 

 fered. 



