58 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
and Society of the Art and Mystery of Apothecaries in 
the City of London.''^ The reasons assigned in this charter, 
are thus expressed : " For as much as it is signified unto us, 
on behalf of our well beloved subjects, the Apothecaries of 
our city of London, and also affirmed and approved unto us, 
by our well beloved Theodore de Mayerne, and Henry 
Atkins, Doctors of Physic, our discreet and faithful physicians, 
that in these latter years, very many empiricks, and unskilful 
and ignorant men, and unexperienced, do inhabit and abide 
in our city of London, and the suburbs of the same, which 
are not well instructed in the art and mystery of Apothecaries, 
but are therein unskilful and rude, do make and compound 
many unw^holesome, hurtful, deceitful, corrupt, and dangerous 
medicines, and the same do sell in many parts of this our 
kingdom of England, and the same do daily transmit, to the 
abuse and scandal, not only of them which embrace the 
knowledge of physic, and of the learned physicians of this 
our realm of England, professing the same, and of our Apo- 
thecaries of our city of London, being educated and expert in 
the same art and mystery, but also to the great peril and daily 
hazard of the lives of our subjects." From this extract the 
reader will see that the putting down of quackery, the pro- 
curing of pure drugs, and the faithful compounding of phy- 
sicians' prescriptions, were the objects sought to be attained 
by the charter now alluded to. By it the society were em- 
powered to purchase and sell lands, to sue and be sued, to 
have a common seal and hall, to elect a master, wardens and 
assistants, clerk and beadle, and to sell drugs. The privileges 
of the college of physicians, and those of the city of London, 
w^ere expressly reserved, and it was declared " that expert and 
approved chirurgeons may exercise their art and faculty ; 
and use and enjoy all and singular their proper practice, as 
much as belongeth and appertaineth to the composition and 
application of outward salves or medicines only; so that they 
do not expose, vend, or expose to sale to others, such salves, 
or medicines, according to the common manner of the Apo- 
