An apothecary was perhaps the most accessible form of medical care during the 18th century. 

The term “apothecary” both referred to the person who dispensed medicine (lower case a) and the place where they worked (capital A). 

They learned their trade typically through an apprenticeship. 

Apothecaries were where people came to find medicine and might be diagnosed from their symptoms. 

Physicians, who were the only ones with the title of Doctor, were the highest educated medical practitioners. 

They earned a degree in medicine which also required some kind of apprenticeship or supervised training. Jonathan Potts was part of this specialized group.

Along with the ability to practice medicine, physicians were held in high esteem as community and intellectual leaders. 

Physicians were protective of this elite status and could be dismissive of surgeons, midwives, and apothecaries' medical knowledge.

No matter the location, weather, or station of the mother, women in childbirth needed care and that typically came from a midwife. Knowledge was gained through apprenticeships and experience. 

Their care included physical, emotional, and often spiritual aspects to support expecting and new mothers.

Physicians become a larger fixture in the childbirth process during the turn of the 18th into 19th century. They often used their professional status within communities to devalue the work of midwives. 

Nevertheless, midwives were among some of the first professions in the colonies, as wherever women went, midwives were to follow.