the cure then, and ask he boldly more or less, but ever be he warre of scarce askings, for over scarce askings setteth at nought both the market and the thing. Therefore for the cure of fistula in ano, when it is curable, ask he competently of a worthy man and a great an hundred marks or forty pounds, with robez and feez of an hundred shillyns terme of life, by year. And take he not less than an hundred shillyns, for never in als my life took I less than an hundred shillyns for cure of that sekeness.” John of Arderne advises that prognosis should be very guarded, and that as to the time of recovery it is good to say double what you think, and if the patient ask “why he putte him so long a time of curying, sithe that he heled him by the halfe? Answer he, that it was for that the patient was strong hearted and suffered well sharp things, and that he was of good complexion and had able flesh to heal, and feign he other causes pleasable to the patient, for patients of such words are proud and delighted.” The leech is further advised to dress like a clerk (_i.e._, a priest), “for why it seemeth any discrete man clad with clerk’s clothing to occupy gentlemen’s boards.” “Have the leche also clean hands and well shapen nails, cleansed from all blackness and filth.” There are many other directions for conduct given in this remarkable document, and sundry extracts from Scripture are given as suitable for quotation by the bedside: “And it speedeth that a leech can talk of good tales and of honest that may make the patient to laugh, as well of the biblee as of other tragediez.” Finally, he is charged to most scrupulously observe all professional confidences. It is evident that John of Arderne was a consummate man of the world, and knew all the tricks of his trade. His fees seem to have been enormous, and, indeed, he is only one out of many examples among our early professional forerunners who made very large professional incomes. Whether Gilbert, Gaddesden, and John of Arderne were associated with any guild which took upon itself the duty of protecting the interests of physicians and surgeons is not known. Certainly they belonged to no association of which we have any trace remaining. I shall now endeavour to show how the medical corporations of London had their origin, and it is necessary to make a few preliminary remarks. THE SEVERANCE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY.