Medical Jurisprudence, Volume 3 (of 3)

‘In the most humble wise shew unto your Highness, your true and faithful Subjects and liege Men John Chambre, Thomas Linacre, Ferdinandus de Victoria, your Physicians, and Nicholas Halsewell, John Frances, and Robert Yaxley, and all other men of the same Faculty within the City of London, and Seven Miles about, that where your Highness (by your most gracious Letters Patent bearing date at Westminster, the xxiii Day of September, in the tenth year of your noble Reign) for the Commonwealth of this your Realm, in due exercising and practising of the Faculty of Physick, and the good Ministration of Medicines to be had, hath incorporate and made of us, and of our Company aforesaid one Body and Perpetual Commonalty or Fellowship of the Faculty of Physick, and to have perpetual Succession and common Seal, and to choose yearly a President of the same Fellowship and Commonalty, to oversee, rule and govern the said Fellowship and Commonalty, and all men of the same Faculty, with divers other Liberties and Privileges by your Highness to be granted for the Common Wealth of this your Realm, as in your said most gracious Letters Patents more at large is specified and contained, the Tenour whereof followeth in these Words:—

[The Charter of Incorporation].

“Henricus Dei Gratia Rex Angliæ & Franciæ & Dominus Hiberniæ, omnibus ad quos præsentes literæ pervenerint salutem. Cum regii officii nostri munus arbitremur ditionis nostræ hominum fælicitati omni ratione consulere; id autem vel imprimis fore, si improborum conatibus tempestive occuramus, apprime necessarium duximus improborum quoque hominum, qui medicinam magis aviritiæ suæ causa, quam ullius bonæ conscientiæ fiducia, profitebuntur, unde rudi & credulæ plebi plurima incommoda oriantur, audaciam compescere: Itaque partim bene institutarum civitatum in Italia, & aliis multis nationibus, exemplum imitati, partim gravium virorum doctorum Joannis Chambre, Thomæ Linacre, Ferdinandi de Victoria, Medicorum nostrorum, Nicholai Halsewel, Joannis Francisci & Rob Yaxley, medicorum, ac præcipuc reverendissmi in Christo patris, ac domini, dom Thomæ tituli Sanctæ Ceciliæ trans Tiberim sacrosanctæ Romanæ ecclesiæ presbyteri cardinalis, Eboracencis archiepiscopi & regni nostri Angliæ cancellarii clarissimi, precibus inclinati, collegium perpetuum doctorum & gravium virorum, qui medicinam in urbe nostra Londino & suburbis, intraque septem millia passuum ab ea urbe quaqua versus publice exerceant, institui volumus atque imperamus. Quibus tum sui honoris, tum publicæ utilitatis nomine, curæ (ut speramus) erit, malitiosorum quorum meminimus inscientiam temeritatemque, tam suo exemplo gravitateque, suis deterrere, quam per leges nostras nuper editas, ac per constitutiones per idem collegium condendas, punire. Quæ quo facilius rite peragi possint, memoratis doctoribus Joan Chambre, Thomæ Linacre, Ferdinando de Victoria, medicis nostris, Nicholao Halsewel, Joanni Francisco, et Rob Yaxley, medicis, concessimus, quod ipsi, omnesque homines ejusdem facultatis de & in civitate prædicta, sint in re & nomine unum corpus et communitas perpetua sive collogium perpetuum; & quod eadam communitas sive collegium singulis annis in perpetuum eligere possint & facere, de communitate illa aliquem providum virum, & in facultate medicinæ expertum, in præsidentem ejudem collegii sive communitatis, ad supervidend’ recognoscend’ & gabernand’ pro illo anno collegium sive communitatem præd’ & omnes homines ejusdem facultatis & negotia eorundem. Et quod idem præsidens & collegium sive communitas habeant successionem perpetuam & commune sigillum negotiis dict’ communitatis & præsidentis in perpetuum serviturum. Et quod ipsi & successores sui in perpetuum sint personæ habiles & capaces ad perquirendum & possidendum in feodo & perpetuitate terras & tenementa, reditus, & alias possessiones quascunque.”

“Concessimus etiam eis & successoribus suis pro nobis & hæredibus nostris, quod ipsi et successores sui possint perquirere sibi & successoribus suis, tam in dicta urbe quam extra, terras et tenementa quæcunque annuum valorem duodecim librarum non excedent’, Statuto de Alienatione ad manum mortuum non obstante. Et quod ipsi per nomina præsidentis & collegii seu communitatis facultatis medicinæ Lond’ placitari & implaciteri possint coram quibuscunque judicibus in curiis et actionibus quibuscunque. Et quod præd’ præsidens et collegium sive communitas, et corum successores, congregationes licitas & honestas de seipsis, ac stat’ & ordinationes pro salubri qubernatione, supervisu et correctione collegii seu communitatis præd’ & omnium hominum eandem facultatem in dicta civitate, seu per septem milliaria in circuitu ejusdem civitatis exercend’ secundum necessitatis exigentiam, quoties et quanda opus fuerit, facere valeant licite et impune, sine impedimento nostri, hæredum, vel successorum nostrorum, justitiariorum, escaetorum, vicecomitum, & alior’ balivor’ vel ministror’ nostror’ hœred’ vel successor’ nostror’ quorumcunque. Concessimus etiam eisdem præsidenti & collegio, seu communitati, et successoribus suis, quod nemo in dicta civitate aut per septem miliaria in circuitu ejusdem, exerceat dictam facultatem nisi ad hoc per dict’ præsidentem & communitatem, seu successores eorum, qui pro tempore fuerint, admissus sit per ejusdem præsidentis & collegii literas sigillo suo communi sigillatas, sub pœna centum solidorum pro quolibet mense, quo non admissus eandem facultatem exercuit, dimidium inde nobis & hœred’ nostris, & dimidium dicto præsidenti & coll applicandum.”

“Præterea volumus & concedimus pro nobis et successoribus nostris (quantum in nobis) est quod per præsidentem & collegium præd’ communitatis pro tempore existen’ & eorum successores in perpetum, quatuor singulis annis eligantur, qui habeant supervisum & scrutinium, correctionem & qubernat’ omnium & singulor’ dictæ civitatis medicorum utentium facultate medicinæ in eadem civitate, ac aliorum medicorum forinsecorum quorumcunque facultatem illam medicinæ aliquo modo frequentantium & utentium infra eandem civitatem & suburbia ejusdem, sive intra septem miliaria in circuitu ejurd’ civitatis, ac punitionem eorund’ pro delictis suis in non bene exequendo faciendo, & utendo illa; nec non supervisum & scrutinium omnimodarum medicinarum & earum reception’ per dictos medicos, seu aliquem eorum, hujusmodi ligeis nostris pro eorum infirmitatibus curandis & sanandis, dandis, imponendis, & utendis, quoties et quando opus fuerit pro commodo & utilitate eorundem ligeorum nostrorum; ita quod punitio hujusmodi medicorum utentium dicta facultate medicinæ, sic in præmissis delinquent’ per fines, amerciamenta, & imprisonamenta corpor’ suor’ & per alias vias rationab’ & congruas exequatur.

“Volumus etiam & concedimus pro nobis, hæredibus et successoribus nostris (quantum in nobis est,) quod nec præsidens, nec aliquis de collegio præd’ medicorum, nec successores sui, nec eorum aliquis exercens facultatem illam; quoquo modo in futur’ infra civitatem nostram præd’ et suburbia ejusdem, seu alibi, summoneantur aut ponantur neque eorum aliquis summoneatur aut ponatur in aliquibus assisis, juratis, inquestis, inquisitionibus, attinctis, & aliis recognitionibus infra dictam civitatam & suburbia ejusdem, imposterum coram majore ac vicecom’ seu coronatoribus dictæ civitatis nostræ pro tempore existend’ capiendis aut per aliquem officiarium seu ministrum suum, vel officiarios sive ministros suos summonned’, licet eædem juratæ, inquisitiones, seu recognitiones summon’ fuerint super brevi vel brevibus nostris, vel hœredum nostroum, de recto; sed quod dicti magistrati, sive qubernatores, ac communitas facultatis antidictæ & successores sui, & eorum quilibet dictam facultatem exercentes versus nos, hæredes, et successores nostros, ac versus majorem et vicecomites civitatis nostræ præd’ pro tempore existen’ & quoscunque officiarios et ministros suos sint inde quieti, & penitus exonorati in perpetuum per præsentes.”

“Proviso quod litteræ nostræ, seu aliquid in eis content’ non cedent in præjudicium civitatis nostræ Lond’ seu libert’ ejusd’ & hoc absque fine seu feodo pro præmissis, seu sigillat’ præsentium nobis facienda, solvenda, vel aliqualiter reddenda, aliquo statuto, ordinatione, vel actu in contrarium ante hoc tempora facto, edito, ordinato, seu proviso in aliquo non obstante. In cujus rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Teste meipso apud Westmonasterium xxiij. die Sept’ an’ reg’ nostri x.”

‘And forasmuch that the making of the said Corporation is meritorious, and very good for the Common Wealth of this your Realm, it is therefore expedient and necessary to provide, That no Person of the said Politick Body and Commonalty aforesaid, be suffered to exercise and practice Physick, but only those Persons that be profound, sad, and discreet, groundly learned, and deeply studied in Physick.

‘In consideration whereof, and for the further authorising of the same Letters Patents, and also enlarging of further Articles for the said Common Wealth to be had and made:’ Pleaseth it your Highness, with the assent of your Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, to enact, ordain, and establish, That the said Corporation of the said Commonalty and Fellowship of the Faculty of Physick aforesaid, and all and every Grant, Article, and other Thing, contained and specified in the said Letters Patents, be approved, granted, ratified, and confirmed in the present Parliament, and clearly authorized and admitted by the same, good, lawful, and available to your said Body Corporate, and their Successors for ever, in as ample and large manner as may be taken, thought, and construed by the same; and that it please your Highness, with the assent of your said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this your present Parliament assembled, further to enact, ordain, and establish, That the Six Persons beforesaid in your said most gracious Letters Patents named as Principals, and first named of the said Commonalty and Fellowship, choosing to them Two more of the said Commonalty, from henceforward to be called and cleaped Elects; and that the same Elects yearly choose One of them to be President of the said Commonalty, and as oft as any of the Rooms and Places of the same Elects shall fortune to be void, by Death or otherwise, then the Survivors of the said Elects (within Thirty or Forty Days next after the Death of them or any of them) shall choose, name and admit One or mo, as need shall require, of the most cunning and expert Men, of and in the said Faculty in London, to supply the said Room and Number of Eight Persons; so that he or they that shall be so chosen, be first by the said Survivors strictly examined after a Form devised by the said Elects, and also by the same Survivors approved.

And where that in Dioceses in England, out of London, it is not light to find alway Men able sufficiently to examine (after the Statute) such as shall be admitted to exercise Physick in them, that it may be enacted in this present Parliament, That no Person from henceforth be suffered to exercise or practice in Physick through England, until such time as he be examined at London, by the said President, and three of the said Elects; and to have from the said President or Elects, Letters Testimonials of their approving and Examination, except he be a Graduate of Oxford or Cambridge, which hath accomplished all things for his Form, without any Grace.

‘In most humble wise sheweth unto your Majesty, your true and faithful Subjects and liege Men, the President of the Corporation of the Commonalty and Fellowship of the Science and Faculty of Physick in your City of London, and the Commons and the Fellows of the same, that whereas divers of them many times having in Cure, as well some of the Lords of your most honourable Council, and divers Times many of the Nobility of this Realm, as many other of your faithful and liege People, cannot give their due Attendance to them, and other their Patients, with such Diligence as their Duty were, and is to do by reason they be many Times compelled, as well within the City of London and Suburbs of the same, as in other Towns and Villages, to keep Watch and Ward, and be chosen to the Office of Constable, and other Offices within the said City and Suburbs of the same, as in other Places within this your Realm, to their great Fatigation and Unquieting, and to the Peril of their Patients, by reason they cannot be conveniently attended:’ It may therefore please your most excellent Majesty, with the Assent of your Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by Authority of the same, to enact, ordain, and establish, That the President of the said Commonalty and Fellowship for the Time being, and the Commons and Fellows of the same, and every Fellow thereof, that now be, or at any time hereafter shall be, their Successors, and the Successors of every of them, at all time and times after the making of this present Act, shall be discharged to keep Watch or Ward in your said City of London, or the Suburbs of the same, or any Part thereof; and that they or any of them shall not be chosen Constable, or any other Officer in the said City or Suburbs; and that if at any time hereafter said President for the time being, or any of the said Commons or Fellows for the time being, by any Ways or Means be appointed or elected to any Watch or Ward Office of Constable, or any other Office, within the said City or Suburbs, the same Appointment or Election to be utterly void and of none Effect; any Order, Custom, or Law to the contrary before this Time used in the said City notwithstanding.

II. And that it may please your most Royal Majesty, by the Authority aforesaid, That it may be further enacted, ordained and established, for the common Wealth and Surety of your loving Subjects of this your Realm, in and for the Administration of Medicines to such of your said Subjects as shall have Need of the same, That from henceforth the said President for the Time being, Commons and Fellows, and their Successors may yearly at such time as they shall think most meet and convenient for the same, elect and choose four Persons of the said Commons and Fellows, of the best learned, wisest and most discreet, such as they shall think convenient, and have Experience of the said Faculty of Physick, and that the said four Persons so elected and chosen, after a corporal Oath to them ministered by the said President or his Deputy, shall and may, by virtue of this present Act, have full Authority and Power, as often as they shall think meet and convenient, to enter into the House or Houses of all and every Apothecary, now or at any time hereafter using the Mystery or Craft of Apothecary within the said City, only to search, view and see such Apothecary Wares, Drugs and Stuffs, as the said Apothecaries or any of them have, or at any time hereafter shall have, in their House or Houses; and all such Wares, Drugs and Stuffs, as the said four Persons shall then find defective, corrupted, and not meet nor convenient to be ministered in any medicines for the Health of Man’s Body, the same four Persons calling to them the Warden of the said Mystery of Apothecaries within the said City for that time being, or one of them, shall cause to be brent or otherwise destroy the same, as they shall think meet by their discretion; and if the said Apothecaries or any of them at any time hereafter do obstinately or willingly refuse or deny the said four Persons yearly elected and chosen, as is before said, to enter into their said House or Houses for the Causes, Intent and Purpose before rehearsed; that then they and every of them so offending contrary to this Act, for every time that he or they do so offend, to forfeit C. s. the one Half to your Majesty and the other Half to him that will sue for the same by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any of the King’s Courts, wherein no Wager of Law, Essoin or Protection shall be allowed; and if the said four Persons or any of them so elected and chosen as before is said, do refuse to be sworn, or after his said Oath to him or them administered, do obstinately refuse to make the said Search and View once in the Year, or at such time as they shall think most convenient by their Discretions, having no lawful impediment by Sickness or otherwise, to the contrary; that then for every such wilful and obstinate Default, every of the said four Persons making Default to forfeit forty Shillings.

III. And forasmuch as the Science of Physic doth comprehend, include and contain the knowledge of Surgery, as a special Member and Part of the same, therefore be it enacted, That any of the said Company or Fellowship of Physicians, being able chosen and admitted by the said President and Fellowship of Physicians, may from time to time, as well within the City of London, as elsewhere within the Realm, practice and exercise the said Science of Physic in all and every his Members and Parts, any Act, Statute, or Provision made to the contrary notwithstanding.