REASONS, Humbly Offered to the Honourable House of Commons; by the Master, Wardens, and Society of the Art and Mystery of APOTHECARIES, London: For the Exempting them from certain Offices and Duties.  
I. THE Business of the APOTHECARIES being to Attend the Nobility, Gentry, and Commonalty, residing within this Populous City, and Places adjacent;( or resorting thither on public Occasions,) under the several Maladies and Diseases that daily happen; they cannot Perform the same answerable to the great Trust reposed in them, without a constant Attendance on their Shops and Profession.  
II. It is found by Experience, nothing is a greater Hindrance to them therein, than their being obliged to Serve the several Parish, Ward, and Leet Offices in the Places where they live; and being continually put on Watches and Juries, which take up a great Part of their Time; whereby it often happens, that by Summons or Office they are obliged to be in one Place, and at the same time have been sent for, and by the Duty of their Profession, ought to Attend the Sick at another Place: the one they could not omit, without Punishment; nor neglect the other, without Prejudice to the Patient.  
III. Their Profession differs from most others; having no Vacation, no time of the Year, nor Hour of the Day or Night free; but are always bound to wait, not knowing when they shall be wanted.  
IV. Their Profession seems to have as reasonable a Claim, as the other Branches of physic, to an Exemption from the like public Offices; they not only attending the Physician at his Prescription, but are expected in the Operation, and frequently to sit up with their Patients in Dangerous cases: And were it not for their charitable Visiting the Poor, many in this City would be lost.  
V. The said Society, at a great expense, have done several things that tend as well to the Honour of the NATION, and Faculty of physic in general; as for the Benefit and Instruction of their own Members in Particular:  

1. By Making a public ELABORATORY, for the faithful Preparation of all chemical Medicines: that none might be imposed on by those, who through Lucre or Ignorance, Sell for Good, such as are Dangerous and Destructive.  
2. By Making a public PHYSICK-GARDEN, and Furnishing it with great Variety of Foreign and domestic Plants; equal to if not exceeding most others in EUROPE.