Third report from the Select Committee on Medical Registration and Medical Law amendment : together with the minutes of evidence and appendix.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Medical Registration and Medical Law Amendment.
Date:
1848
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Third report from the Select Committee on Medical Registration and Medical Law amendment : together 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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    this country ?—Yes. The register should be divided into physicians, surgeons and general practitioners, in separate lists ; but 1 can see no reason why the register should not contain the fact that the general practitioner is an m.d., because that points out that he has gone through a much more extended system of education, and is therefore better qualified to carry on general practice. 1715. Chairman.'] Those are the points of difference ?—Yes. 1716 Were you agreed about the Council of Health ? — Yes, we were rather desirous that we should come to something more specific in respect to the pro- portion of the members of the Council of Health to be taken from the three countries of the empire, but it was urged upon us, that we ought to leave that entirely to the Secretary of State. We all agreed that the best way to appoint this Council of Health would be to leave the nomination entirely in the hands of the Secretary of State ; that it should consist partly of professional and partly of unprofessional members ; 1 mean chiefly of medical men, but partly of those who are not medical, but chiefly of those who are medical; and that the three countries, and as much as possible the several bodies in the three countries should be represented, but that any minutioe of detail should be avoided in the agreement to which we came. 1717. Is that expressed in the resolutions?—Yes, it is. We, however, looking to the frequency with which the interests of Scotland have been passed by in former legislations in this matter, thought that it might be w;ell to specify the proportion at all events of members for Scotland and Ireland in this council. 1718. But you did not specify them?—We did not. 1719. Do you apprehend that there would be much difference of opinion upon that subject, even if you were to settle it by conference?—It was settled upon the former occasion in 1842, to the satisfaction of the representatives of the College of Surgeons and the College of Physicians in London, and to the satisfaction of Sir James Graham. 1 720. If you could not settle it by a conference satisfactorily, are all parties willing to leave it to be settled by the Secretary of State or by Parliament, as it may be done in a Bill ?— We are, certainly. 1721. Do you understand that all the other parties are?—Of course they must be, because they proposed to leave it entirely in the hands of the Secretary of State to nominate anybody he likes. 1722. The Committee understand that you came to this resolution jointly ; that you were willing to leave the matter to the Secretary of State ?—Yes. ] 723. That you wish the majority of the Council to consist of medical men, that it is very desirable that the different countries should be efficiently repre- sented in this general Council, and if possible the different bodies in the different countries that contribute to medical educarion ?—So far as possible, because it is impossible to represent all. 1724. But if you could not adjust it by conference entirely to the satisfaction of all parties, you were willing to defer it to the controlling authority and eminent discretion of the Secretary of State ?—Certainly. 1725. And upon that you were all agreed ? —All agreed. i 72b. Were you agreed generally as to the power that was to be granted to the Council of Health in the way of controlling the course of medical education?— We three are agreed that the Council of Health should have complete control over not merely the colleges, but likewise the universities, or, as it was worded in our resolutions, “ all universities receiving privileges under the contemplated Act,” that if any university would not allow of ihe supervision by the Central Council of its courses of education and of its examinations, that university should be excluded from participating in the Act. 1727. That is to say, the students of that university?—Yes. 1728. Was that agreed to by the other parties?—Yes, it was very acceptable, because they stated that it did away with a great difficulty which they had had previously; the proposal came from ourselves, and it w7as received with great satisfaction. 1729. Do you contemplate having any further conferences?—We were asked if there was anything else which remained to be agreed upon, and I think the general feeling was that there was not anything else. 1730. Would it not be very desirable in that state of unanimity, or nearly unanimity, to which you have come, having removed so many difficulties, that 7(>2. C you R.Christison, Esq. M. n.