LETTERS of PUBLICATION, IN FAVOURS OF THOMAS WEIR Chirurgeon in EDINBURGH.  
WILLIAM and MARY by the Grace of GOD, King and Queen of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defenders of the Faith; To Our Lovits, Macers of Our Privy Council, or Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, cunjunctly and severally constitute, and to all and sundry Our Liege's and Subjects whom it effeirs, Greeting:  
Forasmuch as, Anent the Petition given in to the Lords of Our Privy Council by Thomas Weir Chirurgeon in Edinburgh, Representing, that where the secret of Preparing and Compounding the Medicinal Pill, Called Doctor anderson's Pill, being Communicate by the said Doctor to Katherine Anderson his Daughter, and by her to the said Thomas Weir, and to no other person, as appeared by her Assignation and Declaration, dated the fifteenth Day of December One Thousand six hundred and eighty six, the said Thomas Weir thereupon procured in anno One Thousand six hundred and eighty seven, a Gift under Our Great Seal, giving to him the sole Power, Right and Privilege to Prepare, Compose, Dispense and Vend the said Pill, and to use the Printed Papers, Stamp and Seal formerly used by the said Doctor Anderson and his Daughter: And Discharging all others from Composing, Dispensing, and Vending the said Pill, or using the said printed Papers, Stamp and Seal, under the penalty of a Thousand Marks toties quoties, as the said Gift, with an Act of the Lords of Our Privy Council, and Letters of Publication raised thereupon, in favours of the Petitioner therewith produced testified. Nevertheless Thomas Steil Merchant in Edinburgh, having upon misrepresentation Impetrat an Act of Privy Council, dated the twenty sixth of July, One Thousand six hundred and eighty eight, contraveening the foresaid Gift, Act, and Letters above mentioned, in favours of the said Thomas Weir, and presumed to Counterfeit the said Pill, printed Paper, Stamp and Seal: As also, to print and disperse several false and calumnious Papers and Placads in London and else where, in prejudice not only of the said Thomas Weir who had the true Secret and legal Right in manner : But also Our Liege's abused by the said Counterfeits, whereupon the Petitioner having lately raised and execute Letters of Complaint against the said Thomas Steil, for his so Contraveening, Forging and slandering, he being conscious of his own Gild, did not compear, but suffered Certification to pass against him; upon which he stands Denunced and Registrat at Our Horn; and yet notwithstanding he and others, for and with him, do still upon pretence of the foresaid Act of Privy Council by him, impetrat, as said is, persist in Counterveening the Petitioners Gift, in Counterfitting and Vending the said Pill, to the prejudice of Their Majesty's Liege's, so that necessary it is, that besides the foresaid Certification, the Petitioner should have an Act of Our said's Lords in his favour, Re calling, Rescinding, and Discharging the Act of Privy Council, impetrat by the said Thomas Steil, as said is since that he refused to (nor could in Law) abide by and maintain the same: As also, to certiorat all Our Liege's of the Premises. And therefore Supplicating to the effect aftermentioned, as the said Petition in itself more fully proports. The said's Lords of Our Privy Council having Considered the foresaid Petition, with the Gift under the Great Seal and other Writs produced therewith, and mentioned therein; They by their Act and Sentence of the day and date hereof, Have Recalled and Rescinded, and hereby Recals and Rescinds the above Act of Privy Council, formerly made in favours of the said Thomas Steil, and have Declared, and hereby Declares, That neither he nor any others are to use the printed Papers, Stamp and Seal above-specified, in prejudice of the above Thomas Weir Petitioner, under the Penalty contained in his foresaid Gift; And have Declared, and hereby Declares that the said Thomas Weir has the Good and only Right to use the same, and to take notice of all Counterfeits, and to cause conveen them before the Privy Council, or any inferior Judicatory competent, all the users and practisers thereof, that they may be punished. And have ordained, and hereby Ordains, the said Act, with the Petitioners Gift under the Great Seal, to be Printed and Published: Of the which Gift the Tenor follows, Sic suprascribitur JAMES R. OUR SOVEREIGN LORD Considering that the Medicinal Pill, invented by the Deceased Doctor Patrick Anderson, Physician to his Majesty's dearest Father King Charles the First of ever blessed Memory, hath by experience been found to be a most useful and safe Medicine, which hath recommended that Pill, not only to His Majesty's Subjects in the Kingdom of Scotland, but likeways it hath been used in the Kingdoms of England, Ireland, and other places in Europe; and that it is very much the interest of his Subjects and others, that the Skill and Art of Preparing and Compounding that Pill be preserved entire, and the Counterfeit, sofisticat and adulterate Pills, be not imposed upon any person, under the notion of this Pill, which is so uni●…sally known and used; And his Majesty Considering, That the Secret and Skill of preparing this Pill, was only Communicated by Doctor Anderson to his two Daughters, with power only to the survivor of them to Communicate and Transmit that Secret to some fit and qualified Person, and that the Deceased Katherine Anderson, the said Doctor's surviving Daughter hath Communicate to Thomas Weir Chirurgeon in Edinburgh, the whole secret and skill in Preparing and Compounding the foresaid Pill, and hath sufficiently instructed and seen him prepare and Compound and make up that Pill, as well as ever it was done by Doctor Anderson or his Daughters aforesaid; And that the said deceased Katherine ●nderson hath by her Assignation, Dated the Fifteenth Day of December One Thousand six hundred and eighty six years, Assigned and Disponed to the said Thomas Weir her Stamp, for the Directions, and seal for the Boxes, with all other Vessels, Materials, and other Instruments for Compounding, Preparing and Making up the said Pills; and that the said Deceased Katherine Anderson doth thereby Declare that she hath Communicated and Transmitted the Secret of Preparing and Compounding the said Pill to the said Thomas Weir, and no other person: And considering that there is none else to whom the Secret is Communicated, or Art of Preparing and Compounding the said Pill is committed: And that notwithstanding thereof there are several persons who have already, and are of int●…ion to senzie and counterfeit the said Pill, and to disperse the same with printed Papers and otherways, under the name of the said Pill, commonly called Doctor anderson's Pills; albeit the Secret of Preparing and Compounding thereof was never Communicate to them, nor to any other person now on life, except the said Thomas Weir, which (if not prevented) might prove very dangerous and prejudicial to His Majesty's Liege's and others, through it 〈…〉 of any Counterfeit. Sofisticat and Adulterate Pills, and would much Discourage the said Thomas Weir, who hath only the Secret of Preparing and Compounding thereof, to him Communicated by the said Katherine Anderson, who Assigned and Disponed to him the said Stamp and Seal, with all other Vessels and Instruments for Compounding and ●…ing of the said Pill in manner foresaid: Therefore His Majesty Ordains a Letter of Gift to be past and expede under His Majesty's Great Seal of His 〈…〉 Kingdom of Scotland Giving, Granting and Disponing, as His Majesty for Himself and His Royal Successors, Gives, Grants and Dispones to, and in favours of the said Thomas Weir 〈…〉 Power. Right and Privilege to Prepare, Compose, Dispense and Vend the foresaid Pill, called Doctor anderson's Pill, with power to him to use the 〈…〉 the said Katherine Anderson, for attesting and marking the printed Papers, and Boxes belonging to the said's Pills, for all the Days and Years of the said Thomas Weir his 〈…〉 And His Majesty Doth hereby Discharge all other person or persons whatsomever, during the said space, directly or indirectly, to prepare, Compound, Make us, 〈…〉 Vend any 〈…〉, under the name of the said Pill, invented by the said Deceased Doctor Anderson, or Papers relating thereto, without the special Licence of the said Thomas Weir, under the penalty of One Thousand Marks Scots Money for each Contravention. And His Majesty doth hereby Recommend to His Privy Council, and other Judicators of the said Kingdom or Scotland, to see his Pleasure concerning the Premises rendered effectual, and the Contraveeners Fined or Punished to the 〈…〉, providing always that the said Thomas Weir shall be bound and obliged, not only to continue the faithful and true Preparing, Composing, Making up, and Dispensing of the said's Pills, as was formerly done by the said Deceased Doctor Anderson and his Daughters; But likewise to Communicate the Secret thereof, and instruct any qualified person he shall think fit to prepare, Compose and make up the said Pill (that the Invention be not lost) who shall have no benefit, privilege, or liberty to Compose or 〈…〉 Pill, during the full time and space above-written: And His Majesty Ordains the said Gift to be further extended with all Clauses needful, and to pass the Great 〈…〉 per saltum, without passing any other Seals or Registers in order thereunto, these presents shall be to the Director of His Majesty's Chancellory for writing 〈…〉 to the Lord High Chancellor for causing the Great Seal to be Appended thereto, a sufficient Warran●. Given at Our Court at Whitehall the nineteenth 〈…〉 Thousand six hundred and eighty seven, and of His Majesties Reign the third year. By His Majesty's Command, Sic Subscribitur, MELFORT. As the said Act Ordaining th●… Our Letters of ●…cation to be Direct thereupon, under the Signet of Council in manner, and to the Effect above and under-written more 〈…〉 OUR WILL IS HEREFORE, and We Charge you strictly and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh and whole 〈◊〉 Mercat Crosses of the Head burgh's of the Shires of this Kingdom, and other places needful, and there, in Our Name and Authority, by open 〈◊〉 make publication of the 〈◊〉 Act of Privy Council, and of the said ●ut passed under Our Great Seal, in favours of the said Thomas Weir, that all Our Liege's may have notice thereof, and give obedience 〈…〉 under the pains and Certifications therein-mentioned, and being further answerable as Our Privy Council shall think fit, in case they contraveen: According to Justice, as ye will answer to us thereupon. The which to do, We commit to you conjunctly and severally, Our full Power, by these Our Letters, Delivering them by your duty 〈◊〉 and endorsed again to the bearer.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh, the nineteenth Day of July, One thousand six hundred and 〈…〉 Per actum Dominorum S 〈…〉 GILB. ELIOT, 〈…〉,  
GOD Save King William and Queen Mary.   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson, Printer to their most Excellent Majesties, Anno DOM. 1694.   

Ad●…rtisement, to all w 〈…〉 without which, they are none of 〈…〉