xxxiv                Introduction.

        he appears as “Physicon”; in 1674 as grantee of a tract on the Anacostine
        River as “Apothecary”, and again later in 1672 as apothecary (pp. 407, 532,
        597). At this period the Potomac above the entrance of Saint Isidore's Creek
        (now known as the Anacostia River) was called the Anacostin River (Mary-
        land Historical Magazine, 1933, pp. 134-5).
           John Lemaire (De Le Maire) appears in 1673 as chirurgeon in a deed in
        which he conveys land on Portobacco Creek (pp. 454, 456). He was a native of
        Anjou, France, and was naturalized in 1674 (Arch. Md. II; 400-402). In 1674
        the court gave him the custody and care of William Sparke, “a lame man”;
        if he make a perfect cure he was to receive 2000 pounds of tobacco out of the
        public levy, and if Sparke remained sound one whole year longer another 1000
        pounds; but if the patient died within a half year only 1000 pounds was to
        be paid him (p. 563). Charles Gregory, in a petition to the March, 1673, court,
        describes himself as “Chirurgeon.” The court had placed in his care “a poore
        distressed lame Man . . . . being ulcerated of both his leggs the wch your
        Peticoner tooke in cure and used his intencons and industry to cure both by
        external & internall medecines.” As the man was now “ailmost cured”,
        Gregory requested the court to award the allowance of 1000 pounds of tobacco
        provided for in the levy, and promised that he would continue the cure for
        another year. The court granted the petition (p. 546). Robert Perce,
        “Chyrurgion”, at the January, 1669/70, court, sues and recovers from George
        Thompson, a former clerk of the court, a debt of 3200 pounds of tobacco, but
        whether for professional services or not, is not stated (p. 232).
           Nicholas Solbey appears in active practice in Charles County until his death,
        which took place late in 1673. He is referred to in the testamentary records
        as “chirurgeon.” We know of him through several suits entered by him before
        his death against slow paying patients, and also through those filed by his
        administrator, John Allen the sheriff, after his death. One of these was against
        Henry Bonner, the recently deposed court clerk, from whom he recovered 724
        pounds of tobacco for bleeding, attendance, and visits, and for supplying “oynt-
        ment” for his leg and “plaisters” and purging powders, as well as medicaments
        for members of his family (pp. 334-335). From David Steward he received
        66o pounds of tobacco for attendance and physick; to whom, in addition
        to “blooding” and purging, he had administered “Epis pasticks to neck &
        wrists”, a “Bottle of Aperitive Julep”, a “purging Glister”, “Spirit of vitrioll
        oyle of Anisseeds methridate deascordiu” (pp. 367-368). After Sulbey's death
        his administrator, John Allen, had writs issued against nineteen persons, named
        in the record, presumably for debts due Solbey for professional services, as the
        three which came up for trial before this record ends were all for “parcells
        of physick” (pp. 573, 603-604).
          A certain Miles Chaffe, the master of John Meredith, sued the administrator
        of the estate of Francis Bullock to collect the large sum of 2999 pounds of
        tobacco “for severall potions of physick & attendance administered to Bullock
        by Meredith, servant” of Chaffe (pp. 325-326). Chaffe also sued Robert Row-
        lands for physick administered to the latter's family by his servant Meredith.
        The cases were nonsuited because a quietus est, previously granted the ad-