Universities and corporations under the new Medical Act : an address to the graduates in medicine at the conferring of degrees in the University of Edinburgh by the Vice-Chancellor and Senatus, August 1, 1860 / by John Hughes Bennett.

  • John Hughes Bennett
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Universities and corporations under the new Medical Act : an address to the graduates in medicine at the conferring of degrees in the University of Edinburgh by the Vice-Chancellor and Senatus, August 1, 1860 / by John Hughes Bennett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/24 page 11
    and quacks could not be successfully dealt with, well educated physicians and surgeons had to pay heavy damages. It was also made apparent, that if a man were poisoned or badly treated by a person who did not pretend to have studied medicine, the fault was not so much his as that of the foolish party who had trusted him. But if a respectable qualified practitioner made a mistake, he was severely punished. Although this might be very good law, its general effect was to encourage individuals to impose upon the public, to injure those who had carefully studied their pro¬ fession, and, with the intention of benefiting corporations, to over¬ throw the very objects for which they were instituted. A medical man pursuing his profession was like a traveller on the highways or great rivers—the Rhine for instance—under the old feudal system, where it was impossible to go far without meeting tolls, barriers, and castles—causing obstacle, interdict, and extortion. So inextricable was the mass of heterogeneous laws and re¬ gulations respecting the education and privileges of physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries of the British Isles, that it seemed irremediable. During the last thirty years, however, many efforts were made to interest the Legislature in the subject, but with very indifferent success. Every attempt was impeded by the obvious necessity of removing those exclusive privileges enjoyed by certain corporations, which they of course were in¬ terested in maintaining. The apathy of Parliament proved also a great obstacle. For, while a malt bill or a paper bill could excite intense interest, the question of whether the health of the people should be watched over by well qualified or by compara¬ tively ignorant men, seemed to excite no interest at all. Still less could the public be made to comprehend that it was a subject which more affected them than it did even the medical profession. But I would take this opportunity of saying that, however distasteful and professional this matter may appear, there is, in truth, none literally of such vital interest to the public. For, after all, how few among mankind can be said to escape from ill-health or disease in one form or another.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3