To the kyng our souerayne lorde, and to all the lordes spiritual and temporall, & comoñs in this present parlyament assembled. FORASMOCHE as the science and connynge of phisike & surgerie (to the perfet knowlege whereof, be requisite both great lernyng and rype experience) is dayly within this realme exercised by a great multitude of ignorant pˀsons: of whome the great part haue no maner of insight in the same, nor in any other kynde of lernynge, some also can no letters on the boke, so farforthe that common artificers, as smythes, weauers, and women, boldely and customably take upon them greate cures and thinges of greate difficultie: in the whiche they partly use sorcerye, and witchcrafte, partly apply suche medicines unto the disease, as be very noyous and nothyng metely therfore to the highe displeasure of god, great infamye to the facultie, and the greuous hurte, damage, and destruction of many of the kynges liege people: most specially of them that can not discerne the unconnynge from connynge. Be it therfore (to the suertie and comforte of all maner people) by auctoritie of this present parliament enacted, that no persone within the citie of London, nor within seuen myles of the same, take upon hym to exercise and occupie as a phisition or surgion, excepte he be fyrst examyned, approued, and admytted by the byshop of London, or by the deane of Paules, for the tyme beinge, calling to hym or them foure doctours of phisike, and for surgery, other experte persons in that facultie, and for the fyrste examination suche as they shall thynke conuenient, and afterwarde alway foure of them that haue ben so approued, upon the peine of forfayture, for euery moneth that they do occupie as phisitions or surgions, not admytted nor examyned after the tenour of this acte, of v.li. to be enployed the one halfe therof to thuse of our soueraine lorde the kynge, and the other halfe therof to any person that wyll sue for it by action of dette, in whiche no wager of lawe nor protection shalbe alowed. ¶ And ouer this, that no persone out of the sayd citie and precinte of vii. myles of the same, except he haue ben (as is aforesayd) approued in y{e} same, take upon hym to exercise and occupie as a phisition or surgion, in any diocesse within this realme, but if he be fyrste examined and approued by the bysshoppe of the same dyocese, or he beynge out of the dioces by his vycare generall: either of them callyng to them suche experte persones in the sayde faculties, as their discretion shal thynke conuenient, and gyuyng theyr letters testimonials under theyr seale to hym that they shall so approue, upon lyke peyne to them that occupie contrary to this acte (as is above sayde) to be leuied and employed after the forme before expressed.