I will conclude this part of my discourse with this observation; that the Laws of England in all their Acts of Parliament, have granted the practice of Physic to Physicians and them alone, and in no clause thereof put in any restraint at all upon them, but every where, either new priviledges, or a confirmation of the old, have been granted, by the said powers. Whereas on the contrary, the Law supposeth cheats in the Apothecaries Shops, and therefore impowers our Censors to destroy and burn what they find bad and corrupt. The next thing to be treated of, shall be the ways of Apothecaries creeping into practice, and their unfitness thereunto. As to the first, heretofore when they were Members of the Company of Grocers, and dispersed in place, as well as in counsel, they then were wholy subordinate to the Physicians, only keeping in their Shops, and faithfully making the prescriptions they received from the Physicians, and when made, sending them to the Patient by their men (as they still continue to do in Foreign Countries) and not committing the preparation to raw Boys, or Apprentices, which is the true interest of the Patient they should do here likewise. But in process of time, Physicians in acute diseases having taught them somewhat, sent them to visit their Patients, to give them the best account they could of the estate of their health, and effect of their Medicines. And of later years some Physicians took them along with them in their Visits, whereby they acquired a little smattering of diseases, by which means, and their continual officiousness, they insinuated themselves into Families, and by applying (right or wrong) the terms of Art they had learned from the Physicians, they made people believe they had acquired some skill in the Art, and afterwards began to venture a little at practice, and but until these 10 years last past kept themselves within some bounds and limits; but since that time have daily more and more incroached upon our Profession, being assisted by a greater familiarity of conversation with younger Physicians. And in the Plague time they took upon them the whole Practice of Physic, which ever since they have continued, being much helped also therein by the dispersing of Physicians into places unknown to their Patients, by the Fire, but above all by the burning of the College, by means whereof their Government and view of their Shops have been omitted, insomuch that now they are past all restraint, having insinuated and (as they think) rooted themselves by the aforesaid Artifices, so that there remains now no other real remedy but that proposed.