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PREFACE. xxvii 



and that of its rivals increased. In this respect the Act goes 

 beyond the 5th of Elizabeth, which only required the me- 

 chanics of corporation and market towns to serve an appren- 

 ticeship, but left the villages free from this restriction. The 

 experience of two centuries has shown the impolicy of this Act, 

 in the decay, or at least the stunted prosperity, of the towns 

 subject to this law, and the rapid progress of Manchester, and 

 many other villages, in consequence of their being free for the 

 exertion of genius in whatever line a person chooses to employ 

 himself, and in the improvement made in the manufactures of 

 those places, by allowing the free competition of all. It is, 

 therefore, singular that so many members of a profession justly 

 esteemed liberal, and from whom we might, therefore, expect 

 a correspondent liberality of sentiment, with these examples 

 before their eyes, should have been so blinded by the interested 

 measures of a few artful leaders, as to lend their support to 

 the application of this Act, in less than thirteen months after 

 the mechanics had procured (18th July, 1814) a repeal of the 

 apprentice law of Elizabeth, except so far as regards the city 

 t)f London, or the bye-laws of those corporations, or companies, 

 who may choose to inipose those fetters on their own freemen. 

 It must be allowed, that the original bill, proposed by the asso- 

 ciated apothecaries, was more liberal in this one respect ; for it 

 allowed persons to apply for a certificate who produced either 

 their indentures of apprenticeship, or testimonials of a regular 

 medical education, or of proper attendance in some accredited 

 school of medicine ; whereas the present Act positively requires 

 an apprenticeship of not less than five years to an apothecary, 

 and thus goes beyond the education required by the College for 

 a physician, which is only two years' study in the university in 

 which ihey take their degree. This evidently shows that it is not 

 the public good of obliging apothecaries to have undergone a 

 certain course of studies previous to practising, but the private 

 good of securing apprentice fees, as stated by the associated 

 apothecaries ifi their original letter. It seems also necessary 

 that tlie apprenticeship should be served in England or Wales. 



It is also considered as an aggravation of this hardship, that 

 although a person, after serving a regular a])prentice9hip of five, 

 or even eight vj nr^. m.iv Imve •,\U<^ practised as a visiting aseis- 



