ole Means of impropriating their Art to
themselves: And yet by the Advantage of their Chirurgeons and
Apothecaries, were capacitated to visit and cure ten times greater Numbers
of Sick than before; which in a short Time improved their Fame and Estate
to a vast Treasure, whence it was well rhimed,

----_dat Galenus Opes, dat Justinianus Honores_.

But at length, their Honour and vast Riches in the Eye of Apothecaries and
Surgeons, proved Seeds sown in their Minds, that budded into Ambition of
becoming Masters, and into Covetousness of Equality, and shareing with
them in their Wealth; both which they thought themselves capable of
aspiring to by an Emperical Skill the Neglect and Sloath of their Masters
had given them occasion to attain, since they did not begin to scruple to
make them Porters of their Medicines to their Patients, to intrust them
with the Preparation of their greatest Secrets. This Trust they soon
betray'd, for having insinuated into a familiar Acquaintance with their
Masters Patients, it was a Task not difficult to perswade them, that those
that had made and dispensed the Medicines, were as able to apply them to
the like Distempers, as they that had prescrib'd them, who had either
forgot, or were wholly ignorant how to prepare them; so that now they were
as good as arrived to a Copartnership with their Masters in Reputation and
Title, the best being call'd Doctors alike, and there being no other
Difference between them, than that the Master Doctor comes at the Heells
of his Man Doctor, to take in Hand the Work which he or his Brother Doctor
(the Chirurgeon) had either spoiled, or could not farther go on with; a
very fine Case the Art of Physick and its Professors are reduc'd to, and
that not only of late Days, but of almost Seven hundred Years, for before
that time Apothecaries had scarce a Being, only there were those they
call'd _Seplasiarij_ from their selling of Ointments on the Market of
_Capua_, call'd _Seplasia_, _Armatarij_, and _Speciarij_, or such as sold
Drugs and Spices; tho' I confess Apothecaries may offer a just Objection
in pretending to a far greater Antiquity, since the Original and Necessity
of their Employ was deriv'd from the _Egyptian_ Bird _Isis_, spouting
Water into its Breech for a Glyster: But 'tis no Matter, the Doctor must
truckle to this powerful Engineer, he must conform to the Manner of the
Age; and were I to enumerate the many Abuses that are practised by this
lower Pr