Charter
Annis Tricesimo Quarto and Tricesimo Quinto.
Henry VIII Regis. Cap VIII.
An Act that persons, being no common Surgeons,
may administer outward medicines.
Where to the Parliament holden at Westminster in the third year of the King's most
gracious Reign, amongst other things. For the avoiding of Sorceries, Witchcrafts, and
other Inconveniences, it was enacted, that no person within the City of London, nor
within seven miles of the same, should take upon him to exercise and occupy as
Physician or Surgeon, except he be first examined, approved and admitted by the
Bishop of London, and other, under and upon certain Pains and Penalties in the same
Act mentioned: Sithence the making of which said Act the Company and Fellowship of
Surgeons of London, minding only their own Lucres, and nothing the Profit or ease of
the Diseased or Patient, have sued, troubled and vexed divers Honest Persons, as well
as Men as Women whom God hath endued with the Knowledge of the Nature, Kind,
and Operation of certain Herbs, Roots, and Waters, and the using and ministering of
them to such as been pained with customable diseases, as Women's breasts being
sore, a Pin and a Web in the eye Uncomes of Hands, Burnings, Scaldings, Sore
Mouths, the Stone, Strangury, Saucelim and Morphew, and such other like diseases:
and yet the said Persons have not taken anything For their Pains or Cunning, But have
ministered the same to poor People only for Neighbourhood and God's sake, and of
Pity and Charity: and it is now well known that the Surgeons admitted will do no cure to
any Person but where they shall be rewarded with a greater Sum or Reward than the
Cure extendeth unto; For in any case they would minister their Cunning unto sore
people unrewareded, there should not so many rot and perish to death For Lack of
Help of Surgery as daily do; but the greatest part of Surgeons admitted being much
more to be blamed than those persons of the said Craft of Surgeons have small
Cunning yet they will take great Sums of Money, and do little therefore, and by reason
thereof they do oftentimes impair and hurt their Patients, rather than do them good.
Henry VIII
Be It Ordained, Established and Enacted
by Authority of the present Parliament, That at all Time From henceforth, it shall be lawful to
every Person being the King's subject having knowledge and Experience of the Nature of
Herbs, Roots, and Waters, or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice,
within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other of the King's dominions, to
practise, use, and minister in and to any outward Sore, Uncome Wound, Apostemations,
outward Swellings or Disease, any Herb or Herbs, Ointments, Baths, Pultess, and
Emplaisters, according to their Cunning, Experience, and Knowledge in any of the
diseases, Sores, and Maladies beforesaid, and all others like to the same, or drinks For the
Stone, Strangury or Agues, without suit, vexation, trouble, penalty, or loss of their goods;
the Forsaid Statute in the Forsaid Third Year of the King's most gracious Reign, or any
other Act, Ordinance or Statutes to the contrary heretofore made in anywise,
notwithstanding.
signed by;
Henry VIII
Henry VIII
Be It Ordained, Established and Enacted
by Authority of the present Parliament, That at all Time From henceforth, it shall be lawful to
every Person being the King's subject having knowledge and Experience of the Nature of
Herbs, Roots, and Waters, or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice,
within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other of the King's dominions, to
practise, use, and minister in and to any outward Sore, Uncome Wound, Apostemations,
outward Swellings or Disease, any Herb or Herbs, Ointments, Baths, Pultess, and
Emplaisters, according to their Cunning, Experience, and Knowledge in any of the
diseases, Sores, and Maladies beforesaid, and all others like to the same, or drinks For the
Stone, Strangury or Agues, without suit, vexation, trouble, penalty, or loss of their goods;
the Forsaid Statute in the Forsaid Third Year of the King's most gracious Reign, or any
other Act, Ordinance or Statutes to the contrary heretofore made in anywise,
notwithstanding.
signed by;
Henry VIII