emanded my Assistance; and if in my Essay on Health, I
do persuade my Reader to the =Regimen= I have here laid down, he may assure
himself of that =Golden Panacea=, that =Elixir Salutis=, at no other Charge
but in =cura seipsum=._

_It would by many be expected, that I should make an Apology for the great
Liberties I have taken in my general Treatment of the whole Faculty; in
which I claim the allow'd Exception, that there are some few very Eminent,
and worthy of the first Honours and Dignity of Physick, and who by their
unwearied Labour of Body and Application of Mind, have run through the
Courses of =Anatomy, Botany, Chymistry=, and =Galenick Pharmacy=, and no
less acquainted with the Virtues, Faults, and Preparations, Compositions
and Doses of Vegetables, Animals, Minerals, and all the Shop Medicines._

_And yet nevertheless, the Profession of Physick (though arrived to much
greater Improvement than before) it's Dignity and Degrees are so
despicably fallen, that the very lowest of People, as well Women as Men,
usurp the Title; and how monstrous it is to see that Mob of Empericks, as
Barbers, Farriers, and Mountebanks, over-reach and bubble the People both
of their Lives and Money._

_As I would not arrogate to my self the Performance of another, I must not
here forget to acknowledge that I have borrowed from the judicious Author
of a late excellent Discourse concerning some few Passages of the State of
Physick, and the Regulation of it's Practice. I suppose it will be easily
imagined, that I could have spoken the same Things in other Words; but my
Respect to the Memory of that worthy Person, disposes me to believe, they
will sound better, and be more effectual in his own Language._

_The following Appendix receiv'd it's Birth in Answer to some the most
formidable of the many Pamphlets that were crowded upon the People at the
first Report we had of the miserable State of the =Marseillians= by the
Plague; which had not been but for the same plausible End, of being
serviceable to the Nation, by detecting their Errors, and setting aside
the clashing Opinions of those =Literati=, which has rather given Alarm,
than a Security to the People._

_To conclude: If in speaking the Truth there is no Blame, but rather
Commendation, I then need not Apologise for the Freedom I've used, in
exploding the great Varieties and Abuses in both the Theory and Practice
of Physick. And although the Attempt should not answer equal to the go