An Act for the better viewing, searching and examining of all Drugs, Medicines, Waters, Oils, Compositions, used or to be used for Medicines in all places where the same shall be exposed to sale or kept for that Purpose, within the City of _London_ and Suburbs thereof, or within seven Miles Circuit of the said City.
An Act for making the Surgeons of _London_ and the Barbers of _London_ two separate and distinct Corporations.
‘Whereas in and by certain Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of _England_, bearing Date the twenty-fourth Day of _February_ in the first Year of the Reign of his then Majesty King Edward the Fourth, after reciting, That the Freemen of the Mystery of Barbers of the City of _London_, using the Mystery or Faculty of Surgery, had for a long Time, exercised and sustained, and still continued to exercise and sustain great Application and Labour, as well about the curing and healing Wounds, Blows and other Infirmities, as in the letting of Blood, and drawing of Teeth; and that by the Ignorance and Unskilfulness of some of the said Barbers, as well Freemen of the said City as of others, being foreign Surgeons, many misfortunes had happened to divers People, by the Unskilfulness of such Barbers and Surgeons, in healing and curing Wounds, Blows, Hurts and other Infirmities; and that it was to be feared, that the like or worse Evils might thereafter ensue, unless a suitable Remedy was speedily provided in the Premisses; his said then Majesty did therefore, at the Supplication of the Freemen of the said Mystery of Barbers, in the said City of _London_, grant to them, amongst other Things, that the said Mystery, and all the Men of the said Mystery of the said City, should be one Body, and one perpetual Community; and that two Principals of the same Commonalty, of the most expert Men in the Mystery of Surgery, might with the Assent of twelve, or eight Persons at the least, of the same Community, every Year elect and make out of the Community two Masters or Governors, being the most expert in the Mystery of Surgery, to oversee, rule and govern the Mystery and Commonalty aforesaid, and all Men of the same Mystery and the Affairs of the same; and that the aforesaid Masters or Governors, and Commonalty, and their Successors, might make Statutes and Ordinances for the Government of the said Mysteries; and that the Masters or Governors for the Time being, and their Successors, should have the Survey, Search, Correction and Government of all the Freemen of the said City, being Surgeons, using the Mystery of Barbers in the same City, and of other Surgeons whatsoever, being Foreigners, practising and using the Mystery of Surgery, within the same City and Suburbs of the same, and the Punishment of them, as well Freemen as Foreigners, for their Offences in not perfectly executing, performing and using that Mystery; and should also have the Survey and Search of all Manner of Instruments, Plaisters and other Medicines, and the Receipts to be given, applied and used by the said Barbers and Surgeons, for the curing and healing of Sores, Wounds, Hurts and such like Infirmities; and that no Barber using the said Mystery of Surgery, within the said City, or Suburbs thereof, or other foreign Surgeon whatsoever, should be in any Manner thereafter admitted to execute, perform and exercise the same Mystery of Surgery, unless he had first been approved of, as well instructed in that Mystery, by the said Masters or Governors, or their Successors, sufficiently qualified in that Behalf; and his said Majesty did further grant, that the said Masters or Governors of the Commonalty of the said Mystery of Barbers, and their Successors, nor any of them, should in any Manner thereafter be summoned or put upon any Assizes, Juries, Inquests, Inquisitions, Attaints or other Recognizances, to be taken within the said City and Suburbs thereof, before the Mayor or Sheriffs, or Coroners of the same City for the Time being, or summoned by any of his Officer or Officers, Minister or Ministers, although such Juries, Inquisitions, or Recognizances, should be summoned upon a Writ or Writs of Right; but that the said Masters or Governors, and Commonalty of the aforesaid Mystery, and their Successors, and every of them, should be thereof acquitted, and wholly discharged for ever; and his said then Majesty thereby further granted unto the aforesaid Masters or Governors, and Commonalty of the said Mystery of Barbers, and to their Successors the following Liberty; to wit, That they at all Times thereafter should and might admit Persons able and sufficiently learned and instructed in the said Mystery of Surgery, and by them approved of in Form, and presented to the Mayor of the said City for the Time being, and no other Persons, or in any o