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be examined, by virtue of these presents in the art and mys- 
tery aforesaid." They were also authorized to " burn before 
the offender's door, all medicines or drugs which they should 
find unlawful, deceitful, inveterate, out of use, unwholesome, 
corrupt, unmedicinable, pernicious, or hurtful, and to lay, 
impose and execute punishments, and other pains and penal- 
ties, by fines and amerciaments upon such offenders according 
to their sound discretions, and the ordinances by them and 
their successors, so as aforesaid, to be made and appointed." 
It is evident from the abstract which we have given, that 
as we have already stated, the sole object in granting the 
charter, was to secure a supply of pure medicinal substances, 
and the due and faithful compounding of them according to 
the formularies or prescriptions of physicians, and that the 
apothecary derived no title whatever from it to practise 
either medicine, surgery, or midwifery. The apothecary was 
a mere appendage to, or servant of the physician, and many 
of them, in olden times, had actually acted in this capacity, 
and derived all their knowledge from the casual instructions 
of their masters. But, besides compounding medicines, the 
apothecary— in many cases — was called upon to administer 
them, or see them administered, and in this manner picked 
up a smattering of knowledge, which made him useful in 
trifling cases, or when a physician could not be procured, 
much in the same manner as a client will, in the absence 
of his legal adviser, frequently consult his clerk. This 
usurpation met with some opposition on the part of the 
physicians, but being sanctioned by the community, was 
persisted in by the apothecaries, whose increased importance 
was evinced by the acts of Parliament, passed to exempt them 
from serving offices. 
In what manner the society fulfilled its duties within the 
bounds of its jurisdiction, we have no means of knowing 
accurately. — But it may be safely inferred from the number 
of complaints which were made, that they were inefficiently 
performed. It will be observed, that the charter gave the 
society no power beyond London and seven miles round, 
