Oratiuncula, Collegii Medicorum Londinensis cathedrae valedicens / [William Browne].

  • William Browne
Date:
1768
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Oratiuncula, Collegii Medicorum Londinensis cathedrae valedicens / [William Browne]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/22 page 13
    OCCASIONED BY THE TRIAL BETWEEN DOCTOR L-^-, AND COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, IN WESTMINSTER HALL. BY SIR WILLIAM BROWNE, PRAESIDENT, MDCCLXVII, ^li^Qog yd^ 7:u'oX?dJy olvJd^i(^ dXkocv, Hom. Arte?!! qiii medicam exercet non pluribus impar. IH A D the pleafure to remark, and to report at a meeting of the College, the excellent Maxim, laid down by Ld. M——, on this Trial: That ‘‘ a Medical Education, and an approved Examination, by perfons duely author- ifed, muft be a fufficient foundation for granting the power to praftife Phyficf' That, this was not onely a certain truth, but at the fame time a fevere cenfure on our praefent mode of admitting Licentiates. That, we had not, within me- mory, ever propofed one Quaeftion concerning their Medical Education. That, this omiffion muft neceflarily charge us with an obvious abfurdity, in laying fo great a degree of credit, on fatisfadtory Anfwers to the few Quaeftions, which the fhort time of our three Examinations can inable us to propofe, (which, in comparifon to the total extent of Medical Science, bear no greater proportion, than that of a few drops of water to the ocean; and which Anfwers, by themfelves alone, prove no more than the extent of knowledge to which they relate,) as from thente to conclude the Refpondent capable, to give like fatif- fadlory Anfwers to ali other Medical Quaeftions. That, a Medical Education muft be demonftrably the fole rational foundation for fuch a praefumption. That, our Examinations can be confidered, and were certainly intended to be, nothing more than Tefts of what improvements have been made in fuch Medical Education. That, I did not doubt, if our hiber 'Examinationum^ in which ali Quaeftions and Anfwers were originally regiftred,often mentioned in our Annais, but long fince difufed and loft, fhould ever be found, the firft Qiiaeftion would appear to have been concerning Medical Education, as the neceftary Bafis to all the reft. That,therefore, I would take this occafion,topropofe the following Statute: That no Perfon for the future, ftiould be examined for a Licentiate, with- out producing a Teftimonial under the hands of the Phyfic-Profefibr, and Regifter of forne Univerftty, at horne or abroad, of his having regularly ftudied Phyfic there, for the full term of four years.” That, the number ought indeed to be feven, in a country requiring that time, to qualifie even the very meaneft mechanic. That, the College judging it proper to poft- pone any alteration of our Statutes, till our Differences with the Licentiates be decided, it Is to be hoped, this Statute will then be unanimoufly inadled : fince from thence muft fpring, jam nova progenies^ a new, and far fuperior fet of Licentiates 5 when furgeons, apothecaries, and perfons bred to different occupations, can no longer afpire to be admitted into that order. That L. M-, at the fame time, was pleafed to take notice of the Differences fubfifting between the Licentiates and Fellowsj and in order to praevent their coming before his Court, moft earnefily recommended theni to be \
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