Historical Sketch of the Progress of Pharmacy in Great Britain (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Historical Sketch of the Progress of Pharmacy in Great Britain

AT the period at which our history commences, Pharmacy was in the hands of the Physicians, who professed the healing art in all its branches, and prepared their medicines themselves, or superintended the preparation of them. The science of medicine was so little understood, and so imperfectly culti vated, that it was - in general practised empirically, and was often confounded with sorcery and witchcraft. The Greek word, signifies either to practise witchcraft or to use medicine, and this acceptation of the term was acted upon in our own country as late as. The l6th ce_ntury. There were, therefore, persons of various classes, both men and women, who professed to cure disease, some by incantations; others, who considered that by their genius they were cut out and configurated for it; and others, again, who had obtained a kind of traditional education from recognised Physicians, and who therefore constituted the medical profession.

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