Letter to the Right Honourable Sir James Graham, Bart., Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department / by James Syme.

  • James Syme
Date:
[1845]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letter to the Right Honourable Sir James Graham, Bart., Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department / by James Syme. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    which they spend the years immediately succeeding it, when, all their trials being past, and examinations no longer in view, the whole strength of a young, vigor¬ ous, and disciplined intellect may be applied to prepar¬ ing itself for the business of life. The Bill affords no such opportunity, and, keeping the examination by his college for the last act of a physician’s course of educa¬ tion, in addition to all the cares of graduation, would prevent the best part of his long nine years’ probation from being turned to the most profitable account. i i From what has been said, I trust it will appear, That it would not be either expedient or practicable to classify the medical profession in Scotland. That the education of general practitioners should be the great object of National Medical Schools. That the University of Edinburgh has hitherto been employed for this purpose. That the proposed Bill, by restricting its powers of graduation, would seriously injure, if not altogether destroy this University as a Medical School. If these truths, as I believe them to be, should lead to a reconsideration of the proposals for improving the state of the profession, I would respectfully suggest the following measures as easily practicable and fully suffi¬ cient to remedy the existing evils :— 1. A Public Board to superintend the various Me¬ dical Schools and Licensing’ Bodies. CJ 2. A standard of Education qualifying for general practice throughout Her Majesty’s dominions.
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