MR. WARD's Practice of Phyſick Impartially Conſidered.

THE truly generous, noble, and indefatigable Spirit you have exerted on the Behalf of the Com⯑monwealth, during your ſitting in Parliament, has drawn upon you the Trouble of this Application. You have ſhewn, not only Inclination, but Ability to do real Service to your Country, by promoting and car⯑rying on ſeveral Bills, which will greatly contribute to the publick Good, [4]and tranſmit your Name with Ho⯑nour to Poſterity. You are a true Patriot, in the pureſt Senſe of the Word; and, as ſuch, I don't doubt, but you will think the following Pages highly worthy of your ſerious Con⯑ſideration; and if you find any Hint in them fair, reaſonable, and cal⯑culated for the Intereſt of your Fel⯑low-ſubjects, you will gladly improve it, and readily concur in building upon it ſuch an wholſome Law as may redreſs the Grievance complained of. I think it will be eaſily granted, that the Health of the Body is full as valuable as the Property of Eſtates. How difficult would it be for any Per⯑ſon to believe, that our Legiſlature is of that Opinion, who ſhould obſerve, that there are ſo many good Laws en⯑acted by every Parliament for the De⯑fence [5]of the one, and ſcarce ever any Care taken of the Preſervation of the other? Indeed, within a long Series of Years, the Parliament has been moſt graciouſly pleaſed to caſt an Eye towards the Health of the People, by an Act impowering Phyſicians to in⯑ſpect Apothecaries Shops; by an Act for preventing the Retailing ſpirituous Liquors; and by an Act for the Encouragement of the Publication of Mrs. Stephens's Remedies. However, theſe Inſtances, few as they are, prove, that the Honourable Houſe does not think the Health of the Nation intirely below their Care and Conſi⯑deration; and therefore we ought to ſuppoſe, that the Reaſon why Acts of Parliament for the like good Purpoſes are not more frequent, is, that the Houſe is not applied to on ſuch Sub⯑jects [6]in a proper manner; that the Grievances the People labour under are not fairly and plainly laid before the Members, or practical Methods of Redreſs are not pointed out.

The Health of a People can only be preſerved by all the wholſome Laws the Wiſdom of a Legiſlature can contrive, to prevent Luxury, De⯑bauchery, and every kind of Immora⯑lity, which infallibly produce Diſeaſes, or by frequent Inſpections into the State of Phyſick in their Country, be⯑cauſe Abuſes will daily creep into every Society, or Set of Men, who find themſelves under no Reſtraint, from any Apprehenſions of being called to an Account for their Method of treat⯑ing Mankind, in their moſt moment⯑ous Concernments. Tho' the firſt [7]Part of this general Plan is highly worth your Conſideration, yet I ſhall beg Leave to ſay a few Words to you in regard to the latter only.

The Reformation of the State of Phyſick in general is greatly wanting in this Nation, and, I believe, moſt warmly wiſhed by every honeſt Man, even of the Faculty itſelf. But tho' general Reformations may be as dif⯑ficult as they are deſireable, yet ſome crying Enormities may themſelves point out the Method of their own Redreſs.

If we conſider the publick Hu⯑mour of the good People of England for theſe laſt Twenty Years, one ſhould be apt to conclude, that certain odd Conjunctions of the heavenly Bodies [8]brought on epidemical Follies, as well as Diſeaſes. How have Shakeſpeare, Johnſon, Otway, and all the Plays capable of delighting the Mind, in⯑ſtructing the Head, or mending the Heart, been totally neglected, or cold⯑ly received, while dear Harlequin! charming Devil! has filled all our Affections, triumphed over our Judg⯑ments, and emptied our Pockets! During an Aera like this, when ſuch crowded Audiences, compoſed of the great Vulgar and the ſmall, gave ſuch plain Demonſtrations of their polite Taſte, and profound Wiſdom, is it to be wonder'd, that there ſhould appear, from the malign Influences of the ſame Stars, Marks of an epi⯑demical Madneſs in other Parts of the Town, as well as in the Theatre? No; Dr. Fauſtus will have the Ho⯑nour [9]to be handed down to Poſterity as the illuſtrious Contemporary of a Mapp, a Taylor, and a Ward. The Hiſtorian of our Days will be able to inform his Readers, that the Infatu⯑ation was ſo general, that Freind, Mead, and Pellet, were as much eclipſed by this bright Conſtellation, as Shake⯑ſpeare then was by a more happy Genius; a Gentleman, who, with ſurprizing Activity, could turn him⯑ſelf into all Shapes, and appear to be any Animal but what he really was. Such are the irreſiſtible Charms of Deluſion! Such the Happineſs of be⯑ing deceived, that all our Applauſes riſe in Proportion to the Artfulneſs of the Impoſition, and the Difficulty of diſcovering the Cheat!

Let Mrs. Mapp's Bones reſt in Peace, tho' ſhe tortur'd ſo many in the Days of her Fame.

Let the dexterous Dr. Taylor be able to purge the viſual Ray of our neighbour Nations, that they may ſee their true Intereſt to conſiſt in treat⯑ing Great-Britain with Honour and Reſpect.

Mr. Ward is the only medicinal Meteor which yet continues to ſhine amongſt us, whoſe Fame has raiſed him to the higheſt Degree of Eſteem and Admiration with the Gay and the Polite, on whoſe Authority and Judgment Thouſands, and Tens of Thouſands, of the lower Part of Man⯑kind, ſwallow his Medicines with im⯑plicit Faith, and are ſaid thereby to [11]receive moſt wonderful Cures, in al⯑moſt incurable Diſtempers. The In⯑fluence of this Gentleman's Reputa⯑tion being now become ſo very exten⯑ſive, his Manner of practiſing Phyſick cannot be thought a Subject unwor⯑thy the Notice and Conſideration of the Legiſlature. I am ſure, Sir, you will afford it your Attention, for a few Minutes, as it is of Importance to the Service of the Publick, to which I well know how much every Mo⯑ment of your Time is dedicated.

I ſhall by no means take upon me to determine, whether the numberleſs Deaths laid to this Gentleman's Charge by his Oppoſers, or the unparallel'd Cures he is ſaid to have performed by his Admirers, come neareſt the Truth. What he owns himſelf, and what all [12]his Friends allow, may, I hope, be taken for granted. He confeſſes, with great Candour, that he is wholly ig⯑norant of the Hiſtory and Nature of Diſeaſes; that he underſtands nothing of Anatomy, or the animal Oecono⯑my; and that he only pretends to ſome Knowledge in Chymiſtry, by which Art he has diſcovered a few Medicines, of greater Efficacy in parti⯑cular Caſes, than thoſe in common Uſe among regular Phyſicians. Suppoſe then, that what this Gentleman aſſerts is true, and that he has ſuch powerful chymical Secrets in his Poſſeſſion; muſt they not be capable of doing as much Harm, when ignorantly and promiſcuouſly adminiſtered, as they would be of doing Good in the Hands of a Perſon duly qualified to know in what Caſes, how, and when, properly [13]to apply them? Will that noble chri⯑ſtian Charity, which from this Gentle⯑man's known moral Character cannot but be believed to be the ſole Motive of his great Bounty to the Crowds of poor People who daily attend him, make amends for his dealing out theſe powerful Medicines ſo indiſcriminate⯑ly to all who ſhall pay him the Com⯑pliment of being willing to ſwallow them? Do the Multitude of Patients whom he never ſaw before, or will ſee afterwards, want no Attendance during the violent Operation of their Phyſick? No Perſon acquainted with the Nature of their Medicines, to re⯑lieve or correct any Accidents, which ſo often attend the moſt common and gentle Remedies? Surely it muſt ap⯑pear, to every unprejudiced Perſon, that the moſt uſeful Drugs, under [14]ſuch Management, muſt be a ſore Evil, and therefore that nothing can be more uncharitable, than thus to de⯑ceive and hurt a Multitude under the ſpecious Pretence of Charity? But however faulty this Gentleman's Me⯑thod of Practice may be, yet his Me⯑dicines may in themſelves, and under proper Direction, be extremely valuable. Let us grant, that they are ſo; Is it not then incumbent on thoſe who have the Good of the People at Heart, to endeavour to render theſe valuable Secrets a publick Benefit, which, un⯑der their preſent Circumſtances, are ſo great a Calamity? Every Man ought to be rewarded for his Diſcovery of any thing that may be beneficial to Society. Mr. Ward ſhould not be deſired to part with his Property (and his Noſtrums are undoubtedly [15]ſuch) without a reaſonable Equivalent. The Parliament of Great-Britain is able to grant him this Equivalent, and they have a Right to demand the Knowledge of his Secrets on juſt and equitable Terms. An Engliſhman, who poſſeſſes a Piece of Ground which interrupts the making a River navi⯑gable, is obliged to part with his Pro⯑perty for the Good of the Commu⯑nity: Surely Mr. Ward's Property in his Secrets is not more inviolable, than what every Man has in his own Land; and therefore it cannot be looked upon as any Hardſhip, if he ſhould be forced to part with them on like Conditions. Should ſuch a Demand be made upon him by Parliament; ſhould the Reward appointed be ob⯑ [...]ainable only by the Proof, before competent Judges, of his Medicines, [16]when divulged, performing the ſame Cures on fair Subjects, which they are now ſaid to do on his private Pa⯑tients; and ſhould he refuſe to ſtand that only Teſt, what could be con⯑cluded from ſuch a Refuſal, but that he did not believe in his own Con⯑ſcience, that they would perform what he and his Friends do now per⯑ſuade the World to believe that they will do? Would not ſuch a Refuſal be a juſt and equitable Ground for the Parliament to forbid his farther dealing out theſe Medicines, (of which they would have Reaſon to believe that he had himſelf no Opinion) and by a wholſome Law, to prevent hi [...] Majeſty's Subjects from being any longer cheated of their Money, if no [...] robb'd of their Lives. But as thi [...] Gentleman's great Cures are ſo wel [...] [17]atteſted by many Perſons of Faſhion, whoſe Knowledge in ſuch Matters cannot be diſputed, I have no Reaſon to fear, that he would at all ſuſpect the Efficacy of his Medicines, in all the deſperate Caſes, which he now ſo confidently undertakes. He will there⯑fore undoubtedly ſubmit them to an impartial Trial with the greateſt Chearfulneſs, eſpecially as he will, over and above the Reward appointed by Parliament, be ſure of gratifying his moſt charitable Diſpoſition in the Satisfaction of knowing, that, whereas before only ſome Thouſands of his Countrymen enjoyed the Fruits of his Labours, then he will become a ge⯑neral Good to Mankind. The ho⯑nourable Gentlemen who now talk of his Medicines as divine, and of his Cures as little leſs than miraculous, [18]will all moſt heartily join in promoting this Publication; they will congratu⯑late their Country on the ineſtimable Poſſeſſion of theſe Secrets, which, but for the Care of our Legiſlature, might have ſlept in the ſingle Breaſt of their Author, and have been buried with him in Oblivion, to the irreparable Loſs of all future Ages!

As the Number of Inhabitants is the Riches of a Nation, while ſo many brave Men are loſing their Lives abroad in the Service of their Coun⯑try, let us not ſuffer thoſe who remain at home to be daily thinned, either by the improper Application of Mr. Ward's Medicines, under his preſent Adminiſtration of them, or for want of their being made more univerſally uſeful by a ſpeedy Publication.

The Gin Act is a glorious Inſtance of the tender Care of our Parliament for the Lives and Healths of our Peo⯑ple, to whom that pernicious Liquor was promiſcuouſly, and ſometimes charitably, retailed, by ſuch who pre⯑ferred their own wicked Gains to the Welfare of all human Creatures.

Mrs. Stephens's Act is a plain Proof of the true Senſe your honourable Houſe has of the great Benefit of making any uſeful Diſcoveries in Phy⯑ſick; and it is likewiſe a proper Pre⯑cedent of the Manner in which ſuch Publications ſhould be made, and of [...]he Teſts and Trials ſuch diſcovered Medicines muſt undergo in order to [...]ntitle their Authors to their due Re⯑ward. What may be a reaſonable Sa⯑ [...]sfaction for Mr. Ward's doing this [20]ſignal Service to his Country, I cannot gueſs at. If his Medicines will per⯑form the Cures openly and fairly, which are now attributed to them, I think the Parliament cannot pay too much for the Knowledge of them, or Mr. Ward receive too great Honours from a grateful People. But ſhould this Gen⯑tleman be ſo blind to his own Intereſt as to refuſe to become this publick Bleſſing, on any Terms, can he expect to enjoy the warm Affections of hi [...] Countrymen, to whom he will appea [...] ſo charitable, and ſo hard-hearted, a [...] the ſame time? Should he refuſe t [...] comply with the generous Deſire [...] the Parliament, could he complain [...] they ſhould exert their juſt Authorit [...] ▪ If he refuſes to ſave Millions, he ca [...] ⯑not ſurely think himſelf ill-treated [...] the Guardians of the Publick, if [...] [21]ſhould be forbid to deſtroy even his Thouſands!

But to You, Sir, I humbly ſubmit the Conſideration of this important Point; I call it important; and what concerns the Lives of ſo many of the Innocent, and the Ignorant, deſerves to be ſo called. I ſpeak as a Friend to Mr. Ward, as well as to my Country. I propoſe a Method, by which, inſtead of being the Idol of a Few, he ſhall become the Darling of a whole People! by which he ſhall remove that huge Load of Scandal, which now lies upon him, to the great Chagrin of his Enemies, who ſhall pine with Envy at the Brightneſs of his Glory. The black Liſt of his private Murders, which is now maliciouſly handed about by Phyſicians, and their Emiſſaries, [22]ſhall whiten into a pompous Regiſter of publick Cures, performed by his Medicines, on the miſerable Objects, who had been delivered over to the iron Jaws of Death, by the Ignorance or Indolence of thoſe Doctors, falſely ſo called, who have had no Oppor⯑tunity of underſtanding Phyſick, but their having been bred to the Profeſ⯑ſion. By this means this worthy Gen⯑tleman ſhall be freed from that La⯑bour and Toil with which he now ſerves his Country in his private Ca⯑pacity. He ſhall do even more Good, and yet, as is moſt meet and fit, he ſhall be able to retire from the World, full of Days and Honours; he ſhall ſpend the few laſt Years he has to come in Dignity and Eaſe, enjoying the calm Evening of a well-ſpent Life, converſing with Nature in the moſt endearing Inti⯑macy, [23]to which he has arrived by tor⯑turing her ten thouſand Ways, till he made her confeſs thoſe very Secrets, which he has now communicated for the publick Good, and which ſhall draw down Bleſſings on him, and his Poſterity, through all future Ages.

I beg therefore, Sir, for my Sake, as your Fellow-Citizen; for Mr. Ward's Sake, who can do us all ſo much Service; and for your Country's Sake, whoſe Intereſt you have ſo ſin⯑cerely and warmly at Heart, that you will think ſeriouſly on this Matter. What you ſee to be right, I know you will vigorouſly purſue; and to your good Conduct the Whole is ſubmitted, by, Sir,