Volume 1

Report from the Select Committee on Medical Education : with the minutes of evidence, and appendix.

Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Medical Education.

Date:: 1834

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Medical Education : with the minutes of evidence, and appendix. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$John Havilandy Esq. M.D. i8 April 1834, Downing professor of medicine. If he gives a course of 50 lectures, the same law applies to them. 3869. Is any length of attendance on hospital practice prescribed?—By a recent regulation, the regulation now subsisting, during the absence of the candidate for the degree from the university, he must have attended hospital practice elsewhere for two years. 3870. Is that regulation comprehended in the former grace ?—No, that is more recent. 3871. Of what date?—That is of the present year. I have the regulation here : \The same was delivered in and read, as follows;] Quum statutis veatris Regiis provisum sit, ut medicinse studiosi sex annos rem medicam discant, novem vero tantum terminos in academia complere teneantur, “ Placeat vobis ut, post annum 1835, unusquisque examinationem pro gradu baccalaureatus in medicina subiturus, professori medicinse regio in manus literas certificatorias tradendas curet; quibus liquido constet, se apud aliquod bonae notae nosocomium morbis curandis interfuisse, atque etiam praelectionibus audiendis diligentem operam dedisse per duos annos; vel quamdiu ab hac nostrS. academia abfuerit.” 3872. Does that “ quamdiu abfuerit” mean, that during the whole period of his absence, he must have been in the constant course of attending hospital practice? —So long as he is absent from the university. 3873. Suppose he were absent not the minimum of time, but three or four years ; must he have attended hospital practice during the whole of that time?—No, only two years ; so that wdth the three he resided, we take cognizance of the sex annos. Of course we do not require a man to attend lectures longer than that. 3874. If therefore a medical student continues to reside at the university up to the period of taking the degree of bachelor of medicine, he must attend Adden- broke’s Hospital?—Yes, he would be expected to attend Addenbroke’s Hospital, though there is no law to compel him. 3875. Is it now required that the “ medicinae studiosi,” while residing at the university, attend the hospital ?—By no formal regulation ; but they do in fact under my superintendence. 3876. Previous to the grace^ which you have just read, was any attendance on hospital practice requisite ?—No attendance away from the university, although in point of fact all the medical students have been in the habit of attending hospital practice elsewhere. I never knew one who took his degree, who had not done so. 3877. At what schools, and for how long a time, must the candidate for a degree have dissected ?—That is left to the discretion of the professor of anatomy. There is no regulation to enforce any attendance on lectures on anatomy or dissections. 3878. Is any attendance on the practical operations of pharmacy requisite ?— None is required. 3879. Or surgery?—No, nor surgery. 3880. Is any order prescribed in which the various branches of medical science should be studied?—None whatever. It is thought better to leave it to the oppor- tunities and discretion of the individual, rather than to prescribe the course and order of his studies. 3881. Are you aware that at Paris and in some other foreign universities, it is prescribed what branches of medical science shall be studied in each year of the total number set apart for the study of medicine; and that in the report of the commissioners upon the Scotch universities, a similar division of the whole course of study into periods, is recommended?—I can see the necessity of such a regula- tion, if the number of years is very limited ; but since a doctor’s degree is not conferred under 10 years at tbe earliest at the University of Cambridge, I see no necessity for it: it is best left, I think, to the individual. . 3882. Have the professors of anatomy, chemistry and botany delivered, the two first 50 lectures each, and the latter 20 ?—I believe they have. 3883. They have severally delivered such a number of lectures, as to enable the medical students, by attending the same, to obtain the qualification required by th© grace you have referred to ?—They have so. 3884. Has the Dowming professor been in the habit of delivering lectures ?— I am not aware that he has. He has given notice of lectures, but I am not aware that he has delivered them. 3885. Are the days and hours of delivering the lectures on physic, anatomy, chemistry and botany such, that a person may attend them all in three successive terms ?—•$

Report from the Select Committee on Medical Education : with the minutes of evidence, and appendix.

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