working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

258 PROFESSIONS PROFESSIONS 259straite God sent us in much mercie a poore woman,who by a salve made of nothing but Celandine anda little of the Mosse of an ashe root, :hred and boyledin May-butter, tooke it cleare away in a short time,and though after a space there was some new breakingsout, yet these being annointed with the same salve. . . . . were absolutely cleared away."'The general standard of efficiency among themen who professed medicine and surgery was verylow, the chief work of the ordinary country practitionerbeing the letting of blood, and the wise womanof the village may easily have been his superior inother forms of treatment. Sir Ralph Verney, writingto his wife advises her to cc give the child no phisick butsuch as midwives and old women, with the doctorsapprobation, doe prescribe ; for assure yourselfethey by experience know better than any phisitionhow to treate such infant^."^ Of Hobbes it was saidthat he took little physick and preferred " an experiencedold woman " to the " most learned andinexperienced physician."3Dr. Turbeville, a noted oculist in the WestCountry, was sent for to cure the Princess ofDenmark, who had a dangerous inflammationof the eyes. On his return he is reported to havesaid that " he expected to learn something of theseCourt doctors, but, to his amazement he found themonly spies upon his practice, and wholly ignorantas to the lady's case ; nay, farther, he knew severalmidwives and old women, whose advice he wouldrather follow than theirs.'j4 He died at Sarumin 1696, and his sister, Mrs. Mary Turbeville,practised afterwards in London " with good-Martindale (Adam), Life of, p. 21. 1532.a Verncy Family, Vo!. z, p. 27C. 1647.a Dactlonary of National Siograpb.4 Hoarr, Slr R. C., History of Modern Waltr. Vol. V1. p 465reputation and success. She has all her brother'sreceipts, and having seen his practice, during manyyears, knows how to use them. For my part, I haveso good an opinion of her skill that should I again beafflicted with sore eyes, which God forbid ! I wouldrely upon her advice rather than upon any pretendersor professors in London or elsewhere."'Events, however, were taking place which would sooncurtail the practice of women whose training was confinedto personal experience, tradition and casualstudy. The established associations of physicians,surgeons and apothecaries, although of recent growth,demanded and obtained, like other companies, exclusiveprivileges. Their policy fell in with theGovernment's desire to control the practice of medicine,in order to check witchcraft. Statute 3, Henry VIII.,enacted that " none should exercise the Faculty ofPhvsick or Surgery within the City of London or within~e;en Miles of the same, unless first he were examined,approved and admitted by the Bishop of London,or the Dean of St. Paul's, calling to him or themFour Doctors of Physick, and for Surgery otherexpert Persons in that Faculty, upon pain of Forfeitureof E5 for every Month they should oc~upyPhysick or Surgery, not thus admitted " because" that comnlon Artificers, as Smiths, Weavers,and Women, boldly and accustomably took upon themgreat Cures, and Things of great Difficulty, in thewhich they partly used Sorceries and Witchcraft,and partly applied such Medicines unto the Diseased,as were very noyous, and nothing meet theref~re."~The restrictions were extended to the provinces.A Charter given to the Company of Barber-Surgeonsat Salisbury in 1614 declared that '' No surgeon orbarber is to practise any surgery or barbery, unlessHoare, Sir R C., History of Modan Wilts, Vol. V1., p. 467.' Stow, LOW~OR 1.9 p. 132.